


Chains and Shackles

by the_wolfie_from_the_glade



Series: Chains and Shackles [1]
Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Alpha Derek, Alternate Universe - Werewolves Are Known, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Deputy Stiles Stilinski, Derek Feels, M/M, Slow Burn, Warning: Kate Argent, Werewolves as Slaves
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-15
Updated: 2018-03-06
Packaged: 2018-12-15 12:25:08
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 15
Words: 37,778
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11805963
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/the_wolfie_from_the_glade/pseuds/the_wolfie_from_the_glade
Summary: In a world where werewolves are known, hunters found a way to tame the werewolves aggression. Enslavement. Now it was a status of not only power and wealth, but of simple everyday life. Almost everyone owned one, whether it was for pleasure or need. Stiles disagreed with everything these hunters were doing. He had assumed nothing could be done, that he was just helpless to this cruel slavery, until his best friend pleads for him to take in a 'hostile' werewolf. Add a jealous ex-owner into the mix and Stiles' normal life gets a lot more interesting.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hey guys, I'm going to prepare you this story is in Stiles' point of view because first person has soooo many opportunitys for emotional trauma. Antyways enjoy ;)

They say never judge a book by it's cover, never judge a person by the way they look. That's exactly what they were doing, judging innocent people based on their label. Werewolf. To society they were mongrels that should only be chained up and forced to obey, but they were wrong. I had a simple view on how society viewed these wolves, but it only became more real when I took one in myself. 

Eagerly I took a gulp out of the mug I held in my hand, managing to scorch every part of my mouth in the process. I forced myself to ignore the sharp pain in my mouth as I plopped down into my computer chair. I carefully sat my mug a few feet away from my computer to attempt to avoid any accidents. Staring at a computer screen at six o’clock in the morning apparently causes my reflexes and clumsiness to get worse. If that was even possible.

Normally I would never be up this early. I was not happy and I definitely expected a raise for this. My father wanted me to review this case once more. I'm not completely sure why he choose me when he had a ton of other deputy's that could of done it. Especially considering I was the one that cracked this case in the first place.

I would love to say that my amazing skills lead me to believe that there was abuse going on, but I would be lying. Actually, I stumbled upon the evidence by accident. If I wasn't a deputy I would've overlooked it, but I had decided to start investigating.

Now that werewolves were known of around the world, they were deemed unworthy and dangerous. Some genius had the grand idea of enslaving them, which has now developed into a disastrous society filled with snobby humans and aggressive werewolves. Typically the threat of werewolves attacking humans would cause more work for me, but they have came up with objects to subdue the wolves. I don't typical deal with cases from the werewolf department so I wasn't very educated with how the whole slavery thing worked, thankfully. I honestly never wanted to learn.

Unfortunately I had dug myself into this hole. I had been investigating a case in which a very heavy firearm was stolen from our armory. Of course I went on a whim and assumed that the most popular family of slave owners, the Argent's, had some due in this. Well, I didn't find the firearm, but what I did find was ten time worse. Actually a hundred times worse. I hadn't actually saw the werewolves, but I did see what was left of some of them and it was not pretty. They had a room full of weapons and wolfsbane, that was literally coated in blood.

So that's what lead me into this investigation. Well it really wasn't an investigation any more. The Argent's had already been proven guilty for abuse. Now if they would of abused a human they could of gotten some serious jail time, but it was werewolves that were abused. That meant that instead of getting fully punished, they just got their slaves taken away. Which really did nothing to solve the problem.

My father agreed with me, but he had no way to solve or to even begin any kind of reform. So we kind of sat back and entered in to fix any problems that were within our grasp.

Many of the slave owners hated us. Mostly because any advocate that stood up for werewolves was basically publicly shamed by almost every newspaper out there. I was no different. Although, me being an officer forced them to calm most of their insults, but it didn't stop the completely blatant accusations. Basically the Argent's knew who exactly found out about their abusive tactics, so they didn't like me very much.

I would like to say that bothered me, but honestly I could care less. I guess in this situation it was beneficial to be weak and small and....human.

Normally it was odd to be friends with other owner's werewolves. Hell, it was weird to be friends with your own wolves. I still had a best friend that was a werewolf, Scott Mccall. Technically he wasn't born a werewolf, he was bit, so I never really understood why he was still a slave. He didn't really seem to mind though. Although, he was owned by an Argent, he was owned by the less psycho side. Allison Argent, a more level headed owner, owned him. They 'attempted' to hide their beautiful love story, but it was practically hopeless. According to Scott, he was in a sappy romantic movie that didn't involve absurd society classes. To each their own I guess.

So while Scott and Allison were frolicking in roses, I was reviewing this gruesome case that I would rather forget about.

When the phone rang, pulling me out of my thoughts, I jumped a little more than I probably should in order to be called manly. I sighed, hoping my father wasn't about to put me on another case. I picked up the phone and put it up to my ear.

“Hello.”

“Stiles?”

I paused slightly. “Scott?” I questioned. Slaves weren't allowed on the phones, even in the best situations. Not only that, but why was anyone calling me this early in the morning.

“Listen, I don't have a lot of time so this has to be quick. I need a really big favor from you,” he rambled out quickly and paused for a slight beat before continuing. “You know that case you cracked about the Argent's...about the abuse.”

I sighed. “Scott I'd rather forget about that case,” I mumbled, my fingers drumming against the table. Apparently my growing age did nothing for my small attention span.

“I know. I know, but one of the werewolves that were taken away from the Argent's is in trouble and....and I need you to buy him,” he stated, this time he paused.

I needed this pause. I needed a second to make sure I had actually heard him correctly. I needed a second to figure out how exactly to answer that. I sighed. “Scott you know how I feel about that.”

“I know...and I wouldn't come to you if it wasn't absolutely necessary.”

I inhaled a deep breath, weighing my options. “Wait why do you need me? The confiscated werewolves should of went off to the auction house.”

“They did...and all of them were sold except one. That's why I need your help. This werewolf has not been sold due to aggression.”

“Aggression? Are you trying to kill me?” My eyes trailed over the case in front of me. No wonder the werewolf had aggression problems. I didn't blame him, but that didn't mean I was just going to open my house to a hostile werewolf.

“That's the thing though. He acts aggressive. All fangs and claws, but he hasn't harmed anyone. He only really becomes aggressive during the auctions.”

I nodded slowly. “Which means?”

“Which means that he is doing this on purpose. He doesn't want to be sold,” Scott mumbled, his voice slightly rough.

“Alright so what does him not wanting to be sold have to do with me?” I asked slowly and reached for my coffee mug. I carefully grabbed it and held it close to my chest.

“Because he hasn't been sold they're going to kill him tomorrow. They're basically putting him down if he doesn't get bought by tomorrow evening. So I need you to buy him...please.”

I sighed. This whole thing made me sick. They aren't dogs, but yet they were being treated like them. “Alright,” I mumbled, running a hand through my hair. “I'll try.”

He let out a breath. “Thank you so much Stiles. I owe you....okay his number is 24 and his last name is Hale....that's pretty much all of the information we know,” he started slowly, before his voice turned into a whisper. “Sorry I've got to go. Bye Stiles,” he whispered before the call ended.

I sighed and ran a hand through my hair. I threw my phone on my desk and looked down at the paper beside me. Why did I agree to this? This was the most idiotic idea ever, and yet I still agreed. Maybe it was because I didn't want to deal with Scott's puppy dog eyes and I knew he wouldn't forgive me if I didn't do this. Who cares if this threatened both my job and my life, Scott certainly didn't. Still, I felt as if this was going to go terribly wrong. My father didn't agree with owning slaves, so how was I supposed to explain this to him? I couldn't hide it because sooner or later he would notice if a man was magically in my house cleaning everything. That is, if I even make him do anything. I had gotten by pretty well by myself. I didn't need a slave to help.

But this wasn't for me. This was for a werewolf that was going to lose his life and I wasn't going to let that happen. I stood up and sat my mug down. I had a lot to do. I had to completely prepare my house for a possibly aggressive werewolf.

After actually looking around I realized that my house was pretty messy. So unfortunately I spent all day cleaning. I managed to clean out the guest room which was across the hall from mine. The bathroom wasn't too difficult to clean, but my study was a different story. I don't think there was any saving that space. By the end of the day the house looked suitable for guests.

After much thought, I decided it was smart to take the next few days off. After calling my dad and faking a sore throat and stuffy nose I was able to get Friday and the rest of the weekend off. I had planned to go and buy...retrieve the werewolf the next morning.

That night I couldn't sleep. I kept tossing and turning, my mind all over the place. I couldn't calm down enough to get sleep. My options were battling in my head. So I ended up getting up early and getting onto the computer.

I hesitated for a brief moment before I typed Hale into the search engine. There was an article that didn't involve their abuse. Apparently before the Hale's were bought by the Argent they were at another home. These people stated that the Hale's were a very respectful family of slaves that worked hard without complaint. After a few years of loyal work the owners mysteriously went bankrupt and they were forced to sell the entire Hale family to the Argent's.

I took in any information I could get to help me get a feel for what this werewolf is like.

Once it was a decent hour I put on some casual clothes and headed out. I really didn't know what I would need so I brought anything that had my identification on it. I drove my trademark Jeep to the auction center. Well, that's at least what they called it. It looked more like a pound.

When I walked in I was meet with judgmental stares from the man sitting behind a wooden desk. “Stumble into the wrong place?”

I inhaled a deep breath before I walked up to the table. “No...I'm looking to buy a specific werewolf.”

He eyed me for a brief second before he sat up straighter. “Alright, any particular type?”

I ran a hand through my hair. Scott gave me no description at all. “Um...I'm looking for a Hale.”

He seemed to know what I was talking about, because his eyes narrowed further. “Are you sure? I mean he's a little-”

“Yes I'm positive,” I cut him off and nodded my head.

“May I ask why you are in need of such a slave?” he asked, crossing his arms across his chest.

I sighed, he was making this so much more difficult. “May I ask why you need this information? I don't recall being signed up for 20 questions” I stated sarcastically.

His eyes traveled the length of my body before he locked eyes with me again. “Okay,” he stated simply before he stood up from the chair he was in. “Now we didn't receive anything else for number 24 other than a last name, but we do know that he is an alpha. So he has two sets of wolfsbane laced collars. One around his waist and one around his throat. The one around his neck constantly keeps track of his pulse and if it raises too high it sends an electric shock through his body. There is a hand held bracelet that, if triggered will send an immediate shock through said werewolf. This bracelet is automatically sent to the buyer and received within a day.”

I had to fight to keep my body still and my face from scrunching up in disgust. Not only did Scott forget to mention I was obtaining an alpha, but these people practically fried the werewolves whenever they phased. I didn't know a lot about werewolves, but I did know that phasing was natural. They were punishing werewolves for something they were supposed to do.

“Of course different werewolves have different pulses so you can always get that adjusted,” he mumbled and walked through a door on his right. He motioned me to follow.

I almost hesitated. Almost, but I knew I had to force myself to do this. I knew that I had to save this werewolf from being slaughtered. So I followed him into the door. I was right about the whole pound thing.

There was a concrete walkway that continued in a straight path. On each side of the walkway there was a line of fencing that was separated into sections by concrete walls. Between these walls were people...well werewolves. As I walked I peered into each cage.

All of them were dirty, covered in ripped clothes that were barely suitable to be called clothes. Some of them were curled up in the corner, trembling slightly, others were standing at the door of the cage, snarling at me as I walked by.

I slowed down, my eyes catching a female werewolf. She had two collars. One around her neck and one around her waist that I could just barely make out through the rips in her clothes. She was gripping the fence, her claws almost visible, as a deep snarl rolled from her chest. She was staring me dead in the eyes.

“Mountain ash....we use mountain ash to keep them contained.”

I finally broke eye contact with the female and quickened my pace, catching up with the man just before he turned towards me.

“Alright here he is.”

I looked into the cage.

The werewolf inside was huge. Enough to literally crush me huge. He wasn't cowering and he wasn't snarling. He was sitting against the wall, one of his legs lifted with his arm casually hanging over it. He looked calm, like he wasn't stuck in a cage. His eyes were fixed on a point on the wall. He was wearing a shirt that was covered in blood, but he didn't seem to care. His hair was jet black and messy. The stubble on his jawline and chin shown that he hadn't shaved in awhile.

“Hale,” the man mumbled, his hand tapping against the fencing.

The werewolf looked up, his bright green eyes looking at the man before his eyes locked on me. He looked surprised. Surprised and confused, before his eyes narrowed. His jaw clenched and he dropped his leg just before he stood to his feet. His eyes lit up, turning from green to red in a heartbeat.

As the man unlocked the fencing and dusted away a thin line of black dust I hadn't even known was there, the werewolf's eyes stayed locked on me. The only time his eyes dropped to the ground was when the man gripped onto the top of his neck collar. The werewolf flinched and dropped his gaze as he was pushed forward. As he passed me he once again looked up, his eyes glowing as he made eye contact with me.

Everything in my body told me to flinch away, to cower from this powerful alpha. Surprisingly I looked him in the eye and managed to not physically shudder.

I followed as the man roughly forced the werewolf forward, past the walls of enslaved werewolves and out the front door.

“The Jeep?” the man asked as he glanced at me over his shoulder.

I nodded slowly and followed the man out to my car. I stepped in front of him and quickly unlocked it and opened the passenger door.

The man gripped onto the collar and shoved the werewolf inside with much more force than necessary.

I forced my mind to overlook it as I stepped around the car and climbed into the driver's side. I heard the man mutter a good luck before the door was slammed roughly.

I started the car, trying to focus on not letting my legs tremble. Werewolves could hear heartbeats though, right? So even if I stopped shaking he could still hear the intense beating of my heart. I inhaled a deep breath and glanced over at the werewolf.

He was staring out the window, completely rigid. Far different than he was in the cage. His hand was curled up in a fist, his body tense and clenched.

I cleared my throat, trying to pull some of my voice back. “...So I'm Stiles....Stiles Stilinski.”

He didn't look over at me, but he tensed even more.

I nodded, trying to rid myself of the nervous feeling that rushed over me.  The car ride didn't get any less awkwarder. I could almost hear the erratic beating of my heart, so I knew the werewolf could. I didn't know what to say. I didn't want it to be awkward, but I didn't want my throat ripped out either.

When we made it to the house I gladly got out of the car and walked up to the front door without a word. I could feel the werewolf quietly walking behind me. As I unlocked the door I glanced over my shoulder.

The werewolves eyes were directed at the floor, but he wore a rough scowl. His hands were curled in thick fists.

I released a breath I didn't know I was holding and unlocked the door. I opened it and walked in. As soon as the werewolf made it through I quickly shut the door. I walked up next to him. “Alrighty, so this is where I live. Pretty much everything is open for access, except my room and study. Your room is upstairs on the right and your bathroom is next to that. Feel free to change anything to fit your needs. Um, I really don't..have anything for you to do. I mean if you want gourmet meals then that might be a problem. I've never been a very good cook, but I'm not forcing you to,” I rambled and looked over at him.

A look of confusion filled in his green eyes as he watched me. He immediately caught himself and forced his eyes back to the ground, his jaw clenching.

“K. Here I'll show you your room,” I mumbled and turned. I quickly stepped up the stairs, the werewolf's footsteps ringing behind me.

When me made it to the room I pushed the door open for him and stood in the doorway.

The werewolf stepped in, his eyes scanning the room. His muscles clenched through the tattered shirt reminding me of something.

“Oh right. If you need anything particular there's a notepad on the desk that you can write a list on. I'm going shopping tomorrow so you can just write down anything you need..” I mumbled and watched the werewolf direct his eyes around the room. “Alright cool. I'll let you get situated.” I started to turn and leave.

“I enjoy cooking,” The werewolf mumbled,his voice was rough. It fit him. A deep voice that rolled from his lips like poison. It seemed as if he almost flinched, his voice low and deep and careful. Careful because he probably thought that telling a human that he enjoyed something was wrong.

I froze. Not because it scared me, not because it enraged me. It enlightened me. It touched a spot in my mind that almost made me smile. I wanted to hear more, I wanted him to talk to me. To be able to trust me enough that he would look me in the eyes and talk.

I nodded. “Good...there's only so many ways to make ramen,” I stated lightly and left him on his own. I was trying to go for lighthearted. Trying to keep the shakiness and unsure feeling out of my voice. I wanted him to know that talking was definitely encouraged.

I went to my office and carefully shut the door. Something was picking at the back of my mind, something that caused me to pull out the Argent file. I opened the vanilla card and looked at the paper before me. It was a background check on the Argent's. Something wasn't right with this. There was something more than abuse going on, but I couldn't exactly put my finger on it. There was something that....his name? I still did not know his name. Which slightly bothered me, but not as much as the intense churning I had in my stomach.

After a few hours of flipping through the same file time and time again I decided that I should sleep. As I passed the kitchen I glanced at the clock. It was twelve at night, which meant that I had mindlessly been working for half the day. I was supposed to be off, I should really take advantage if that.

I was going to go straight to my room, but the werewolf's door was open and the light was still on. I stopped and peeked my head inside.

The werewolf was sitting on the bed, his back rigid. His eyes were narrowed as he glared down at his own hands. His hands were cupped together in his lap, but there was a small tremor that rolled through his fingertips.

“Hey, I'm heading to bed...so um...goodnight,” I stuttered before I quickly disappeared down the hall. I ran a hand through my hair, trying to calm my racing heart. I made it to my room without completely freaking out and shut the door. I crawled into bed and pulled the covers up over my face. I inhaled a deep breath, I had to calm down. I shut my eyes and tried to clear my mind, but I couldn't. Images from that werewolf facility kept popping into my mind. I ended up falling into an uncomfortable sleep that was filled with small nightmares. Before one would get to intense, I would snap awake and immediately fall back asleep, straight into another one.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Derek takes two steps forward and then four steps back. Stiles still tries to gain his trust despite this.

I woke up to the intense smell of bacon, which immediately caused me to jump out of bed. I slid my hoodie on slipped out of my room. As I passed the werewolf's room, I noticed the door was wide open and the bed was completely untouched. I shrugged it off as I followed the aroma of bacon. When I made it downstairs I noticed the werewolf standing by the stove, his back tense as he kept his gaze on the pan in front of him.

“Mornin',” I mumbled, not expecting an answer. I made my way over to the island and sat down, rubbing sleep out of my eyes.

The werewolf said nothing as he placed the finished food on a plate and sat it in front of me. He then placed a mug next to my plate. He kept his eyes downcast as he turned toward the sink and immediately washed the dishes he just used.

“You didn't make yourself anything?” I asked as I glanced up from the plate in front of me.

He didn't speak, but his shoulders tensed as he started drying the pan in his hand. He set it aside then turned to me. His eyes stayed focused on the floor, but he shook his head lightly. His hands were clasped behind his back, as he stood as still as a statue.

I glanced down at my plate of bacon and eggs and pushed it towards him. “Here, eat this,” I stated and stood up from the counter. “I have to go shopping anyway, I'll just eat a granola bar. Not very tasteful, but I probably should eat something slightly healthy given my recent lack of healthy food,” I rambled as I walked over to the pantry and pulled out a small bar. I unwrapped it and stuck it in my mouth, gnawing on the side. I glanced over at the werewolf.

He was still in the same spot, his hands still clasped, but he was staring at me. Confusion fluttered across his features before he shook his head and lowered his eyes back to the ground.

I pulled out the bar so my speech would be coherent. “I guess I should've mentioned yesterday that any food is open access. Feel free to make coffee or tea or whatever suits your fancy,” I mumbled and took another bite out of my breakfast.

The werewolf glanced up at that, his eyes meeting mine for a brief second before they dropped back down again.

It was enough to see how rough he looked. His eyes were decorated with dark circles under them and he seemed paler than the day before. I shrugged it off, simply because I knew I would get nowhere with this right now.

As I went upstairs to retrieve my keys I caught a glimpse of the werewolf's dresser, which held a piece of paper. I hesitated at the doorway, unsure if I was crossing some kind of boundary. I slowly walked in and grabbed the paper. I skimmed it as I made it to my room and grabbed my keys. The only thing on it was food, food of which I had already planned to get.

I made my way downstairs and threw a glance at the werewolf as I made it out the door.

He was eyeing me as he finished cleaning the kitchen. The plate was still untouched.

The first store I stopped at I was completely stumped. I wanted to buy the werewolf some real clothes. God it bothered me that I still did not know his name. Anyway, I searched half the store slightly unaware of what to get him. I didn't even know his size. So I just took my best guess. I ended up getting him a few pairs of jeans and henleys. I also picked up a leather jacket seeing how winter was well on the way. Buying underwear for another man was extremely awkward, but it had to be done. So I decided on stuffing it at the very bottom of the bag. I picked up a few other necessities for my new housemate.

After that I made it over to the grocery store and picked up everything from fresh fruit to raw meat. I got everything that was on the werewolf's list and a ton more. Cookies and ice cream was not on his list, but it was definitely a necessity for me.

I made it home and stopped at the mailbox to check the mail. As I pulled the package out I immediately knew what it was. I opened it anyway and pulled out the bracelet that determined if the werewolf would be fried or not. I shuddered and threw it in my pocket. It didn't feel right to actually wear it.

I gathered up all the groceries and carried them inside. There was no trace of the werewolf downstairs, but I could hear him upstairs. I unloaded all the groceries and placed his belongings on the counter. As much as I wanted to relax, there was a case that was scratching at the back of my mind.

I sat down at the counter with the case spread out in front of me, various papers were scattered here in there. I glanced over the report that was filed. 'The Argent family buys the Smith's family of werewolves'. I flipped a few pages and noticed something that caught my eye. The Argent’s apparently owned some type of insurance business dealing with certain werewolf affairs. Normally this wouldn't be a big deal, but I quickly flipped to the Smith's biography and noticed that many times the Smith's had dealt with this company. I searched the Smith's page, I had to find a way to get in contact with them. Before I found it I heard the bag in front of me rustle, causing me to jump. I glanced up and stared at the man before me.

His green eyes glanced down at the bag then back at me. “Are these for me?”

There was his voice again. Rough and tight, as if he was afraid I'd throw everything in sight at him. Despite the tension in everything he did, his voice was quiet and almost scared.

“Yeah,” I stated and watched him glanced back down.

His fingers trailed through the leather fabric, feeling the outside of the jacket. He gripped onto the bag and held the jacket close to his chest, like he was afraid I was going to take it away. He started walking out the room, but stopped right beside me.

I glanced up at him.

He kept his eyes on the ground, but he tilted his head towards me. “Derek.”

“Huh?” I turned towards him.

“My name. It's Derek,” he stated as he continued out of the room.

I tried to listen to something other than the intense beating of my heart. His name was Derek. The rough, werewolf that was supposedly aggressive and supposedly an animal. I found myself already used to his name, as if I had already known him as Derek and not as some random wolf. I stared after him for a while before I turned my attention back to the case in front of me.

I skimmed the paper, finding the name of the business and quickly wrote it down. I gathered the case in front of me and quickly made it to my study. I laid everything out on my desk and booted up my computer. As I waited for it to load I let my eyes skim over the Smith's case file. There wasn't an address, but there was a number. I searched my desk for a pen then circled the number, planning to go back and call them. First I had to get my facts straight and together.

When my computer turned on I pulled up Google and typed in the Argent business. They had a full website, that dealt with everything from financial security to lists of occurrences. I studied everything, including a document that detailed the meaning of signing up for this business. I wrote down anything that I could and ended up filling half a notebook with detailed facts.

I them pulled out my phone and dialed the number I had circled. I waited as the phone rang.

“Hello?” A woman's light voice answered.

“Hello ma'am. Is this Mrs. Smith?” I asked, my professional facade voice on.

“Yes it is, may I ask who's calling?”

“This is Stiles Stilinski from the Beacon Hills police department. I'm sorry to trouble you today, but upon reviewing your case I've come across something I would like to speak to you about.”

“And what would that be?” she sounded slightly angry, but I wasn't sure if that anger was generated towards me.

“I see that you were involved in the Argent insurance bureau, and I have evidence to believe that they wronged you in a serious and unlawful way. Now if we could meet somewhere to discuss everything that would be great.”

There was a slight pause before she agreed to allow me to ask questions.

I hung up after everything was resolved and figured out. I turned off my computer and leaned my head back against the chair, shutting my eyes. I felt so tired. Since getting off work, it feels like I had more work than I did before. Which made no sense at all. I opened my eyes when there was a light knock on my study door.

“Yeah?”

There was a slight silence before Derek's answer. “Dinner's ready.”

I stood up from my desk and stretched before I walked over to the door. I opened it and followed Derek into the kitchen, where the aroma of fresh spaghetti hit me like a baseball bat.

Derek walked over to the cabinet and pulled out one bowl. He scooped the noodles and sauce out and started to hand the bowl to me.

“Nope,” I shook my head and shoved the bowl into his chest. “That's yours, I'll get mine,” I stated and walked over to the cabinet, pulling out my own bowl. I quickly filled it and walked back to the counter, stuffing my face as I did so. I plopped down into the chair and scarfed down my spaghetti. As I finished and started to get up I released that Derek had barely touched his. I rinsed my bowl and threw it in the dishwasher, trying to keep my eyes off from Derek's tense figure.

“Stiles?”

I froze, my eyes turning to meet Derek's frame. He looked cautious, but he knew what he wanted to say. He twirled his fork in the spaghetti in front of him before he looked up at me, his eyes meeting mine. “Can I go with you?” He asked, his voice low and careful. He kept his eyes locked on mine for a brief second before he dropped them back to the ground.

“Where?”

“To interview Mrs. Smith?” He asked, his voice a little over a whisper. It almost looked as if he was physically trembling.

I nodded. “Of course, I could use some backup anyway,” I stated, keeping my voice lighthearted. If that's what it took to show Derek that talking was okay, that asking something was okay. Hell even if he demanded something from me I would probably still allow it. I wanted him to be comfortable voicing his opinion to me, comfortable with telling me what exactly he wanted.

Derek nodded, but he never met my eyes. His shoulders were slumped and his head was down, his whole body almost curling in on itself.

I couldn't help the way my eyes scanned him and stopped on the thick collar that wrapped around his throat.

I let myself out of the room to spare the embarrassment.

When I made it to my room I paused by my nightstand. I wasn't really afraid that Derek would just come in randomly and slice my throat out, but I couldn't stop myself from putting the bracelet on my nightstand. I sat it down and stared at the blue object for a few seconds before I plopped down on the bed. I actually slept very well that night. I didn't have any nightmares and I barely woke up. 

In the morning I woke up to the sound of rain on the roof. I opened my eyes and looked around. It couldn't of been very late because it seemed pretty dark outside. I sat up slowly and ran a hand over my face before I glanced over at the clock. 4:32 p.m.

I hopped up from the bed and stretched. I should probably let Derek know that I wasn't dead, then again he might not care. I walked down the stairs, feeling extremely well given the amount of hours of sleep I received. When I got downstairs I expected to see Derek cooking since it was so late in the day, but he was nowhere in the kitchen. I walked into the living room and paused, my eyes stopping on the dark figure curled up on the couch.

Derek had fell asleep on the cushions, his legs curled up into a fetal position. His hands were curled into fists that were held close to his chest. Even in his sleep his eyebrows were turned down, as if sleep was a burden to him.

I smiled at the sight and walked back into the kitchen. I wasn't about to wake him up. With how rough he looked he definitely needed sleep more than I needed him to cook. I settled on some cold pizza that was left in the fridge. I grabbed my cold dinner and grabbed the Smith's file from my office. Tomorrow would be the day that we would visit them and I needed to make sure I had everything together.

I quickly downed my pizza and continued grazing over the case. It seemed like I had everything together and ready to consult with The Smith's. It worried me a little bringing Derek. Just because I had never brought him out in public before, but from how he's been so far I couldn't worry too much.

I glanced up over the file at Derek's sleeping form. My smile faded into concern.

He had curled in on himself, his shaky hands gripping onto the fabric of his shirt. His legs twitched slightly before his whole body tensed. 

I sat the file down and leaned forward, my eyes focused on Derek's face.

His eyebrows were drawn downward and his eyes were squeezed shut. A low growl rose from his chest, some type of warning, just before it turned into a whine. The noise was pitiful and lost.

It was a noise that rattled my bones. A noise that immediately sent chill bumps along my arms. A noise that made me jump from my seat and go to him. As crazy as it was to wake a werewolf during sleep, I couldn't just sit and watch him suffer during whatever it was he was dreaming about. I crouched beside him and let my hand hover over his sleeping form for a brief second. 

Another sharp whine escaped his lips as his hand dug into one of his shoulders.

I touched my hand lightly against his arm. “Derek? It's okay,” I whispered, not really knowing how to comfort him.

His eyes shot open, a red tint lingering in them before they returned to normal. He eyed me frantically before he jumped up from the couch. He backed away from me, his eyes focused on the floor. “I'm so sorry. I did not mean to slack, I can make your dinner right away. I deserve punishment,” he muttered, his voice low and shaky. He dropped to his knees and rose his palms toward me submissively.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Some of Derek's back story gets unearthed.

I rose from my spot on the floor and stared at the werewolf before me. Everything about this freaked me out. I think I would have preferred him to slice through me with his claws rather than act like this. I had to fix this. “No no. Don't worry about dinner, I made myself some. I..you looked peaceful, so I didn't want to bother you,” I mumbled and paused.

He didn't move or say anything.

“Stand up.”

He followed my order, making it look extremely graceful. “Yes master.”

I froze, my body becoming 30 degrees colder. “Don't...please don't call me that. I'm not...I don't want to be...that. Just you can call me by my name.”

Derek did look up at that, his eyes meeting mine for a second before they dropped like they always did.

Something inside me wanted to see those eyes more, but I knew what was best in this moment. “Derek, why don't you go upstairs and get some more sleep. I've already ate so I don't need your help with anything. We'll leave tomorrow to see The Smith's so rest up,” I stated and smiled.

Derek glanced up and it almost looked as if he wanted to return the smile, but instead he nodded and walked out of the room.

I inhaled a deep breath and walked backed over to my chair. I plopped down into it and leaned my head back, perfectly prepared to fall asleep. 

Sometime after the sun went down I awoke to my phone vibrating in my pocket. I sat up slowly and pulled it out. “Hello,” I slurred as I answered, my voice clogged with sleep.

“Stiles? Are you okay?”

“Oh, hey dad...yeah I'm alright,” I mumbled and ran a hand over my face.

“You don't sound fine...that's it you're taking another week off,” my father demanded through the phone.

“No I'm not. Dad I'm fine I swear.”

“Nope. As your father I am drawing the line and making you take a week off. Stiles enjoy it. You've worked non stop for the past 8 years. You deserve a break.”

I sighed and finally gave up. “Alright fine,” I sighed.

“Now go get some sleep. It sounds like you haven't got good rest in a week.”

He honestly didn't know how true that was. “Okay dad will do. Love you,” I stated and waited for him to answer. The second he did I ended the call and obeyed his order. I went straight up to my room.

Derek's door was shut, but the light was off so I assumed he was asleep. I knocked out pretty quickly and slept most of the night.

When I woke up the next day Derek had already made breakfast and was picking at a plate he had made himself.

“Good mornin'” I grumbled as I poured myself a cup of coffee.

Derek didn't look up from his plate, but he did clear his throat. “Morning,” he grumbled, sleep still clogging his voice.

I almost laughed, but I'm sure Derek wouldn't of appreciated that very much. After I downed my coffee I went and got dressed, getting prepared for this talk with Mrs. Smith. I went with something casual simply because I wanted her to feel comfortable around me.

I went downstairs and retrieved my keys, waiting for Derek to come downstairs. I decided on flicking my key ring around my finger and counting to see how many times I could make it rotate. I broke my record of 3 rotations when Derek came down the stairs and stood beside me.

I gripped the keys in my hand and glanced over at him.

He had the leather jacket on over one of the red shirts I had bought him. The two fabrics together matched his skin tone perfectly and shaped around his detailed muscles. Dark denim jeans hung from his hips and stopped right over his impatient, tapping foot. “What?” he questioned, his face a mix of anger and fear. Which was a really odd combination.

I shrugged. “You look really nice,” I mumbled and opened the door for him. I pretended not to noticed the way he stalled before he continued out the door.

We got into the car and made it to the Smith's house, which surprisingly wasn't that far. I started to pop the car door open, but I jumped when Derek  gripped onto my arm. I froze and turned toward him. Maybe his plan was to get me to take him back here so he could kill me and then live secretly with the Smith's. 

 Derek's eyes were downcast for a brief second before he looked up at me. His bright hazel eyes searched mine before he spoke. “Thank you...for this,” he stated, his eyes staying on mine.

I opened my mouth to say something, only to find myself at a complete loss of words. I kept my eyes on his, my heart fluttering in uneven beats.

His eyes trailed to the house in front of us, his face full of longing. His hand fell off my arm gently and he rubbed his palms on his jeans, something that I did when I was nervous.

I looked down into my lap. “You're welcome,” I said before I continued out the car.

When we got to the door I rang the doorbell.

Derek stood behind me, his head down and hands clasped behind his back.

The women that opened the door was pretty short, but her eyes were light. She wore a bright frilly dress and looked basically like your normal sweet grandmother. She wore a smile on her face, despite the circumstances I was there for. “Deputy Stilinski?”

I held my hand out politely. “Oh, please call me Stiles.”

She took my hand and shook it gently. “I'm Lindy Smith, it's a pleasure Stiles please come in,” she stated and walked back inside.

Derek walked in after me and quickly shut the door behind us. He moved in step behind me, without so much as a word.

I almost punched myself when I remember that Derek needed permission to speak. “Lindy, I hope you don't mind that I brought my werewolf along,” I mumbled and stepped to the side, motioning towards Derek.

“Oh that's no problem at all,” she stated and turned towards me, smiling. Her eyes moved to Derek, her smile dropping. Her mouth was parted slightly, her eyes taking in his frame. “Derek?”

He looked up at that, his eyes meeting hers.

The smile that overtook his features made me want to cry. His smile was full teeth, and the lightness touched his eyes. The distressed crinkle that was normally in his features faded away in admiration. The tenseness in his shoulders faded away and for once his stance became more than defensive. It became giddy, like a child waiting for it's grandparents to get to their house.

I took a step back allowing Derek to walk past me.

He definitely didn't walk. He ran forward and tackled Lindy in a bear hug, his arms wrapping around her body.

Lindy was stunned, her eyes automatically shot up to me. There was fear there, fear that I was going to punish Derek for that display of affection, but I wasn't. In fact I wanted to encourage it. I smiled at Lindy before I spoke. “Would you mind if I made coffee?”

Lindy smiled and wrapped her arms around Derek before she spoke. “Not at all. Coffee's...”

I turned and waved my hand in the air. “I'll find it, just take your time,” I stated and wandered into the living room. I looked around and made my way into the room on the left, which luckily was the kitchen. I felt kinda weird intruding on Lindy's house, but I felt weirder intruding on her and Derek's reunion. So I found the coffee pot and the grounds sitting next to it. I made enough for all of us and leaned against the counter waiting for it to brew. 

As soon as it beeped I searched the cabinets for mugs. I found three plain mugs and filled them with coffee. As I walked by, juggling coffee mugs, I grabbed the creamer from the fridge and tucked it under my arm. I made it about halfway through the kitchen, my eyes focused on the mug between my arm and torso, when someone gripped onto my sides.

I jumped, almost spilling all of the coffee everywhere. I turned to see Derek, his eyes on the mug that almost toppled to the floor. 

He grabbed the mug from between my arm and torso and grabbed the creamer from the other side. “Need help?” Derek asked, a sarcastic grin covering his face.

I almost dropped the other mugs. Derek, Mr. werewolf, just grinned at me. Although, it was a sarcastic assholy grin, it was still a grin. “Woah, Mr. sourwolf is sarcastic?” I questioned, my eyebrows raising.

Derek turned before I could get a response, but I swear I saw him laughing. 

Lindy was watching from the living room, a curious expression carved into her features.

Derek handed the mug to her and sat down across the table from her on the couch.

I sat the creamer on the table and sat down next to Derek. I handed Derek the mug in my hand and he took it thankfully.

Lindy also looked puzzled at this, but she kept it to herself. “So exactly what does this interview include.”

I cleared my throat and grabbed the creamer. As I poured it into my mug I spoke. “You were involved with the Argent's werewolf insurance business, am I correct?”

“Yes I was.”

I nodded and returned the creamer back to the table. “Did anything ever occur between you and the business that caused some...disagreements?”

Lindy thought for a moment, her eyes glancing over at Derek for a brief second. “The Argent's they claimed that they would need to do a search of my home. I believe this was after they found out that there was another werewolf.”

“Another werewolf?”

“My little sister, Cora,” Derek spoke up his eyes locked on the floor.

I glanced at him. I really didn't want him hearing all this, in fear that it would bother him, but I wouldn't ever force him to leave. I glanced back at Lindy.

She nodded slowly. “The Argent's only had records for Derek, his mom, and his older sister. After there was a anonymous report of a new werewolf being here they demanded that they come and inspect my house,” she mumbled and took a sip of her coffee.

I nodded slowly and waited for her to continue.

“All of us, we attempted to hide Cora. Her and her father were the only ones that the Argent's didn't know about and I wanted to keep it that way. If the time came Cora could run off with her father and be safe. Well the Argent's were extremely thorough. They even brought their own wolves. They found them, hiding in the basement. Their father had attempted to protect her, in doing so he sentence himself to death. They shot him and they immediately took Cora. Claiming that she was a rogue werewolf that had to be put dow-” she stopped abruptly when Derek sat his mug down quickly and walked out the room. 

I stood up instinctively, worry curling through my veins and clenching around my stomach. 

“Stiles, let him cool off,” Lindy suggested.

I let my eyes linger on the door that Derek disappeared into before I sat back down.

“Um...so yes they took Cora away. For a while the rest of us were okay. Meaning okay physically, I don't believe any of us were exactly happy. Anyway a few weeks later the Argent's Bureau contacted us and stated that there was a fine for unlisted werewolves. We paid it in full, but it seemed that they weren't happy with that. They kept coming up with reasons to return and inspect the house...One of the female workers was very...fond of Derek and she made some extremely inappropriate comments. Derek's mother attempted to protect him and threatened to attack her if she laid a hand on him...” Lindy sighed, her eyes lowering to the ground.

I sat my mug down on the table and watched her carefully.

She cleared her throat and looked back up at me before she spoke. “The Argent's took me to court, claiming that my werewolves had abused them in some kind of way. I didn't want to lose them...but the Argent's weren't planning to take them away from me through court. They had a bigger plan. As soon as the leader's daughter had gotten attached to Derek, the plan had started...They stripped me of any income I had by getting me fired from work. My savings were thrown away because of unnecessary fines and the required money needed for a good lawyer.”

“How much money did the Argent's take in 'fines'?”

Lindy took a long sip of her coffee before she sat it down on the table. She clasped her hands together and looked at me. “At the very least 6 hundred thousand dollars.”

I had to keep myself from reacting. This was business, but yet I still felt as if I had an emotional attachment to this woman. Even though I had never met her, this was someone Derek trusted.

“After that my money slowly plummeted and eventually I had to sell my werewolves. The Argent's came to retrieve them...and they were brutal.”

“What happened?”

Lindy sighed slowly. “That's not mine to tell,” she mumbled and glanced the way that Derek had left.

I tried to be completely business. I tried to be the deputy I was supposed to be. I tried to focus on the way she seemed worried about what she was telling me, but all I could think about was the fact that Derek was affected by what was said. That there was pain that Derek had constantly kept hidden.

I sighed and rose to my feet. “I'll stay in touch, I will need you to make a statement up at the station in a few days. For now I must excuse myself,” I stated and turned quickly. I pretended not to noticed the curious look she gave me as I escaped out the living room. I followed the route Derek took and walked out a large door that lead to the backyard.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Four house guests in one day, that must be a record.

Derek was sitting on a log near the edge of the woods, his body still and his eyes staring deep into the forest.

I walked up and sat down beside him, letting me eyes drift to the same location he was looking. “You okay?”

He sighed slowly and placed his elbows on his knees. He stared down at his hands. “Do you think Cora is alive?”

I bit my lip, and looked over at him. “Yeah, I'm sure she-” I started, only stopping when I saw Derek's jaw clench.

He looked over at me, his eyes meeting mine. “Don't lie to me.”

His words were verging on harsh, but I could see the desperateness in his eyes. The pleading look of an older brother that had possibly lost his younger sister.

I sighed and looked away from him. “I don't know...but what I do know is that if she's out there we will find her,” I stated and looked back over at Derek.

He watched me carefully for a brief second, his lips slightly parted as if he wanted to say something. He looked away, his eyebrows drawing downward and his jaw clenching slightly. He nodded and stood up. “Let's go home,” he grumbled already walking towards the house.

I smiled to myself before I stood up. I didn't know when Derek started considering my house 'home', but I could honestly say that I loved it. I followed Derek, a step behind him as we walked back into the house.

We both said goodbye to Lindy, Derek's being a little more heartfelt than mine. We put our evil human, obedient werewolf facade on and made it to my Jeep. We didn't speak in the car.

Derek stared out the window, his posture surprisingly relaxed considering.

When we made it inside Derek stood in the foyer, his hands clasped in front of him and his head down.

I locked the door and looked at him, stalling in my trip to the kitchen.

“May I go upstairs....Stiles?” he asked his voice low, his eyes meeting mine for a second.

I faltered slightly. “Um...yeah of course. You don't have to ask,” I stated and smiled. I turned and bounded into the kitchen determined to find myself an ice cold coke. I pulled out a can and popped it open before I bounded into the living room. I had planned to put something random on the TV right before there was a knock at my door. I groaned and sat my soda down before walking over to the door.

When I opened it I froze, a smile spreading across my face.

My best friend ran through the door and tackled me in a bear hug. As soon as he got his arms around me he picked me up and squeezed tighter.

“Ow...Scotty. Can't breathe,” I wheezed out, a goofy grin still plastered on my face.

“Whoops sorry,” he smiled and placed me back on the floor.

Allison had entered, shutting the door behind her.

They weren't the only ones to enter the room. Derek was standing on the stairway, watching mine and Scott's exchange curiously.

“So this is the new wolf eh?” Scott asked and bounded over to Derek. “I'm Scott,” he smiled and offered his hand.

For a second Derek stared at Scott's hand, but then he smiled and shook it firmly. “I'm Derek.”

Scott nodded. “I know...what I didn't know was that you're an alpha,” he stated and motioned to the slight bulge on Derek's torso where his second collar was.

I smiled. At least he didn't keep it from me, he didn't know as well.

Derek nodded slowly and glanced at me over Scott's shoulder. “So you two are friends?” he questioned, his eyes moving back to Scott.

“Best friends,” I corrected and walked up to Scott. I wrapped my arm over his shoulder. “Partner's in crime...practically brothers,” I stated and punched Scott lightly in the arm.

Scott smirked and returned the punch to my shoulder.

I recoiled as pain flared down my arm. “Aye I don't have super werewolf healing powers and I don't want my gorgeous skin to be covered in bruises,” I complained, rubbing my arm. I tried to make my voice stern, but I couldn't hide the grin that crawled its way onto my face. I glanced over at Derek, who was smiling also.

Allison stepped forward and Derek's eyes snapped upward.

As soon as his eyes gazed at her, his mood darkened. His smiled dropped into a frown, his eyes narrowed, and his shoulders tensed. His hands curled into thick fists as he eyed Allison.

Scott noticed this. He stepped away from Derek and protectively stood in front of Allison. His eyes lit up, a brilliant golden yellow.

I stepped closer to Derek and glanced up at him.

His jaw was clenched and his lip was raised slightly, his eyes glowing a threatening red.

“You don't have to be afraid of me Derek. You can trust me,” Allison stated and and raised her arms.

Derek blew air out through his nose. “Trust you? How can I trust any of your family when you slaughtered mine?”

Allison nodded slowly. “I know how you must feel about me Dere-”

A low growl cut Allison off. “You really think you know how I feel. You think you know how it feels to watch your uncle burned where he stood, to watch your sister sliced in half, to watch your mother shot dead straight through the head?...you say you know how I feel, but yet you're still out there murdering werewolves. Innocent people that have done absolutely nothing wrong,” he snarled and started to take a step forward.

I gripped onto his hip and squeezed.

He froze and glanced down at my hand. He took a deep breath and glanced at me, his eyes returning to normal.

I let my hand drop to my side as I watched him slowly return to normal.

“I just need to talk to Stiles,” Allison stated slowly.

Scott stepped forward. “We need to talk as well Derek.”

Derek looked up at Allison and took a step in front of me. He stopped for a brief second and growled. A low rumbled that rolled from his chest as he eyed Allison. He stayed a step in front of me before he turned and followed Scott outside.

Me and Allison walked into the kitchen and she leaned forward onto the counter.

“Sorry about that,” I mumbled, not honestly sure why I felt sorry. If everything Derek said was true, she deserved every word of it.

“No I'm sorry. He's right. I don't know what it feels like and every time I see him I'm either the bad news or I'm giving bad news.”

“So what are you this time?” I questioned and sat down on one of the bar stools.

She sighed. “I've gave up on being bad news a long time ago. I'm no longer a hunter, but I'm sad to say that I'm still giving it.”

I nodded slowly. “Okay, so that means?”

“You two are in trouble, you and Derek.”

“What?” My eyes scanned her face.

“Derek was right about my family. One particular family member isn't happy that you bought Derek. Kate Argent, my Aunt. She wanted him dead and she would've killed him if the authorities wouldn't of shown up. Once she was bored of him she was going to kill him to prevent him from telling the rest of the world what she had done to him. You and your deputies showed up before she was able to do it. She was then hoping that Derek would just be put down in the pound...it seemed as if he wanted to anyway.”

I nodded slowly. “But I bought him...creating a rift in her plan.”

“A very huge rift. One that she's planning on straightening out,” Allison mumbled, clasping her hands together.

“So she's going to try and get him from me? I'm not selling him so she's never getting him back.”

“And she knows that. She won't just pursue you with money. One thing the Argent's are is relentless. She will go to all lengths to get her slave back,” she mumbled and glanced out my back window.

I followed her gaze out the window, to where Derek and Scott sat. Anger shot inside me, a firecracker in the calm sky. “Her slave? Derek is my werewolf, he lives with me. And no little werewolf hunter is going to change that. Derek is not her property, nor is he mine.”

Allison narrowed her eyes at me. “In the eyes of the law none of that matters. Derek is a slave and it only matters who owns the paper.”

I scoffed. “In the eyes of the law I own those papers. In the eyes of me, it does matter. And if you haven't noticed...I am the eyes of the law,” I stated and pointed to where my deputy belt hung from a nearby hook.

Allison stood up and straightened her dress defiantly. “I just came here to warn you Stiles. I was trying to be helpful and I really don't appreciate the way you've treated me.”

I rose my eyebrows and stood up from my stool. “You know what I don't appreciate? That you've been here for all of twenty minutes and have caused an increasing amount of problems in my household.”

Allison scoffed. “I'm leaving,” she snapped before she turned.

“If you say so,” I stated and tapped my fingers against the counter top. I walked into the foyer and waited for my guests to leave.

Allison walked out first and waited outside the door.

Scott walked passed me and leaned in. “What did you say to her?”

“Everything that needed to be said,” I stated and smirked placing my hand on his shoulder.

“Scott,” Allison called, her foot tapping impatiently.

He smiled back, before he followed Allison out.

I shut the door and locked it. I leaned against it and let my body slide down onto the floor.

“You alright?”

I looked up to see Derek standing in front of me. I rose my eyebrows and blew out air through my cheeks. “That was...intense.”

Derek nodded and stuffed his hands into his leather pockets. “Were you telling the truth?”

I stood up slowly. “About what?”

He cleared his throat and looked down. “About selling me?”

I picked nervously at my nail. “You heard that?”

He nodded and looked up at me.

“How much did you hear?”

Derek shrugged. “Kind of all of it.”

I smirked and nodded looking down. “But yeah. I was telling the truth...She's not going to get you,” I stated sternly and tried looking him in the eyes.

His eyes dropped and he took a step back, his arms crossing defensively.

I searched to change the subject. He was getting uncomfortable and I didn't like that look on him. “So what's for dinner?” I asked and smiled. 

Dinner turned out to be hamburgers. I thought they could only be so good since I didn't really have a grill, but Derek completely surprised me. The burgers were better than any of the ones I've tasted that were on the grill. 

As soon as we had our plates in hand, Derek moved towards the living room.

“Hey,” I stated and waited for Derek to turn towards me. “You wanna eat outside?” I asked, jerking my head towards the back door.

Derek eyed more for a second, making me desperate to fill the silence.

“I mean the couch is probably more comfortable since ya know I don't have patio chairs. Or a patio to sit on, but I was thinking we could sit on the ground. Heaven knows I need sun since I'm stuck inside most of the time and I figured you'd enjoy it...”

Derek nodded slowly through my words for a few seconds, before he interrupted my rambling. “Yeah...that would be nice.”

I smiled and turned quickly. I walked out the back door with Derek behind me. We found a nice patch of grass that looked into the forest and sat down. I criss crossed my legs and sat my plate on top of them.

Derek stretched his legs out in front of him and sat his plate down.

We sat in silence for a few minutes before Derek spoke, almost making me jump.

“How are you and Scott friends?” he asked slowly, his eyes glued to the plate below him.

I swallowed the bite I had taken before I spoke. “He's a bitten werewolf. We all actually went to school together. Me, Scott, and Allison. They both dated so after he was bitten she decided to buy him.”

“You didn't oppose?”

I shook my head. “Nah. Scott was fond of her. Although I have known him since kindergarten I knew it was for the best. Besides my dad would of killed me if I would of bought a werewolf,” I mumbled and tossed a french fry into my mouth.

Derek was silent for a moment. “So has he killed you yet?”

I inhaled a deep breath. “Actually I haven't told him yet,” I stated slowly, picking at the burger I held.

Derek snorted and took a bite out of his burger.

I watched him for a second, realizing that this was the first time ever that Derek has ate in front of me. I watched the way his eyes closed as he chewed the bite he had taken. How he flared his nostrils as he inhaled a deep breath. He released the breath as he swallowed.

I smiled and refocused on my food.

Shortly after that we parted ways and went to bed, both exhausted from the long intense day.

The next morning came quick and I found myself holding a mug between my cold hands and looking over the files I had laid out. I leaned back in my study chair and let my eyes graze over everything, trying to look at all of the board. I was about halfway through when the doorbell rang.

“Derek? Can you please get that for me?” I asked.

I heard the door open and I heard muffled voices. I made my way out of my study and into the foyer.

“Stiles! I am so going to kill you. Violently and brutally.”

I turned to see my father standing beside Derek his arm's placed firmly on his hips.

“Hey dad...this is my friend-”

“Save it. I wasn't born yesterday, I can see the collar. Stiles you do realize you're the one that's against any and all werewolf slavery and yet here you are with one. Yeah I am going to kill you,” he rambled, his eyes narrowed.

I glanced over at Derek, pleadingly. “Derek? No help?”

Derek crossed his arms and leaned against the wall, a teasing smirk playing across his lips.

I sighed and rolled my eyes. “Dad listen,” I started and looked back at my father.

He shook his head. “No Stiles. Did you really think buying a beta werewolf was a good idea?”

“He's actually an alpha,” I correctly, feeling a little pride.

“And you think that helps your case any?” My father snapped.

“No...but,” I paused. I didn't really want Derek to know that it wasn't my idea to buy him. I felt like all the trust I had built up between us would crumble, so I scrambled for close to the truth. I hoped that my heart was already beating fast enough so that he couldn't distinguish my little white lies from the truth. “Derek was in the pound and if he would of stayed one more day he would have been put down. So I bought him to...avoid that,” I mumbled and glanced at Derek.

His eyes were narrowed down at the floor, his arms still crossed. His stance became slightly more defensive as his smirk disappeared. 

My father seemed to slowly calm down as he eyed me over.

I could literally feel my heart pounding out of my chest as he looked over at Derek and eyed his defensive stance.

My father cleared his throat before he spoke. “Does he give you as much trouble as he gives me?”

I almost had a heart attack when Derek seemed to relax slightly.

His shoulders released and he actually looked up to meet my father in the eye. A light smile spread across his face before he spoke. “Oh yeah, tons.”

My father chuckled lightly before he looked back over at me. “So as your punishment, even though technically what you did was the right thing to do. Your punishment is...what do you think Derek? Coffee?”

I stared deer eyed at the two, surprised as I watched them share a sneaky look.

“Alright yes. Me and Derek request coffee,” my father stated and made his way into the living room.

As I made coffee I could hear them talking. My father almost rambling, much like I did, and Derek answering with short respectful answers, like he always did. 

I bounded in and handed them both their coffee before I plopped down beside Derek.

“This better be delicious or I'll want some dinner as well,” my father stated, and got comfortable in his claimed recliner.

I rose my eyebrows. “You better hope it's good or you'll have to suffer through my dinner. That's more of a punishment for you then for me,” I stated and grinned at my father.

My father rose his hands in the air. “Alright you win. I don't want food poisoning,” he stated.

“Is it really that bad?” Derek asked, cautiously.

“No, it's not that bad,” I blurted before my father could get a word in.

My father laughed at my attempt before he took a long swig of coffee. “So I'm assuming Derek does the cooking since your house isn't burnt down yet.”

“It's pick on Stiles day isn't it? I think I must of forgot to mark it on my calendar,” I stated and smirked. I glanced over at Derek who was also smirking and for once I didn't mind my cooking being completely trashed.

My father left after his coffee was gone, claiming that it was good enough to avoid having suffer my cooking. He agreed to let me have the rest of the week off to get Derek comfortable with being here. He agreed as long as he was invited for an actual dinner some time in the future, one to which I'm sure Derek will be cooking.

After my father had left Derek went upstairs to take a shower and I resumed the work I was doing. I glanced over the file in front of me, my fingers dancing over my cheek as I tried to piece together everything. If I was going to place any kind of charge against the Argent's I needed to find everything that happened. If this was about abuse it would only get their werewolves taken away, which had already been done. I needed something that would impact them, whether that was financially or not I wasn't sure.

The doorbell ringing pulled me out of my information trance. I padded to the door and yanked it open. At first I didn't recognize the woman that stood on my doorstep.

Her blonde hair was curled shaping her serious face. A tight tan jacket covered her arms and dark jeans covered her legs. The heeled boots she wore clicked impatiently against the wood in front of my door. Her light eyes stared me down, challenging me, and then I realized who she was.

All the pictures I had seen through case files and reports that I myself technically led, I had saw her face everywhere. Kate Argent.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This surprise visit brings more surprises than Stiles can handle.

 

“Well you're cuter than I expected,” she stated, her voice low as she gently touched the side of my cheek.

I pushed her hand away from me and eyed her. “Why are you here?”

Kate eyed her nails before she glanced back up at me. She rose her eyebrows, a light smirk playing on her features. “It seems you found some of my property and I would like it back,” she stated her eyes flickering past me and into my house.

My eyes narrowed at her. I stepped to the side, blocking her view, and I pulled the door closer to me. “I think you've made a mistake.”

Kate's smile grew as she crossed her arms over her chest. “Stiles, why don't you make this easy for everyone and just give me what I came for. Give me Derek,” she demanded, her smile dropping.

Now it was my turn to raise my eyebrows. “Now why on earth would I give him to you? I honestly don't see how that's easier for everyone.”

Kate sighed. “Alright you got me there. How much?”

“What?”

She blew air out of her nose impatiently. “How much do you want for him?”

I chuckled slightly, shutting my eyes for a brief second before I spoke. “He's not for sale,” I stated sternly and dropped my arms.

“Come on Stiles. Your minimum wage job only offers so much...so why don't you allow me in so we can talk price,” she stated and stepped closer as she placed her hand on the door.

Before I spoke I felt a hand lightly touch my waist. The pressure moved to the hand that wasn't holding the door and something cold was slipped into my hand. 

I gripped onto it and immediately realized that it was my gun.

The hand disappeared, but I felt Derek's body press against my side behind the door.

I looked up at Kate, a smirk growing on my face. “I suggest you get off my property.”

Kate's eyes narrowed as she reached for her hip, her hand touching a holster that hung from her waist. Her eyes moved from my face to a spot on the door.

I followed her gaze and watched Derek's hand move out the door, claws out. He flexed his hand and dug his claws into the hardwood. A low growl rolled from his chest, vibrating the door and it's hinges. 

Kate's eyes widened and she glanced back at me, weighing her options.

I pulled the pistol from behind my back and held it in front of me. I cocked it back and pointed it at her chest, my finger on the trigger.

I could feel Derek's other hand grip the other side of my hip, prepared to pull me out of the way if necessary. His growl rang in my ears.

Kate glared at me before she took a step back. Her hand stayed on her hip, even as she made it to the street and into her car.

Derek's growl slowly died down as she pulled away from the house.

I shut the door and inhaled a shaky breath. I could feel Derek pull his hand back and step away from me. I glanced over at him. “Thank you,” I breathed and laid my head back against the door.

Derek nodded at me, his eyes holding mine. “You're welcome.”

The rest of the day was surprisingly normal, well about as normal as you get for a young man owning a werewolf. Dinner was normal, I attempted to make small talk with Derek which just ended up with me rambling about something. Even after that encounter with Kate I still felt surprisingly positive. The morning with my father and Derek had kind of left me in a permanent happy mood.

I slept really well that night. I didn't toss and turn or have any kind of random nightmares. I rose out of bed and slipped on a jacket before walking downstairs.

Derek's door was still closed when I passed by so I assumed he either was really sleeping or he just wanted to be alone. Both I was completely fine with.

I wandered down into the kitchen and made myself a cup of coffee. I yawned and leaned against the counter, waiting for my coffee to brew. As soon as it was done I poured myself a cup and sat down at one of the bar stools. I gulped down a large sip, scorching my tongue completely. I really had to stop doing that. I let my eyes travel out the window and I eyed the place that me and Derek had sat.

He had seemed really....normal then. In that moment I had almost forgot that he was a werewolf. Most of his movements were tense and abrupt, but outside when he was eating he seemed himself. He seemed almost calm and relaxed, like he wasn't a slave bond to me by law. Like he was my friend, someone who came over and hung out when they themselves wanted to. 

Derek walked into the kitchen, pulling me out of my trance. At first he walked slowly, his body still waking up. His head snapped up towards the coffee, his nostrils flaring. He then looked over at me and charged at me.

I flinched away, my eyes shutting on instinct. I cowered away from this powerful alpha that was charging straight at me. I could feel my mug being smacked from my hand and I heard it hit the counter roughly.

I opened my eyes and looked around.

Derek was standing next to me, his eyes moving from me to the coffee pot.

My mug was shattered into pieces in front of me and my coffee was dripping all over the counter and all over the floor.

“Please tell me you didn't drink any of that,” Derek stated, his voice urgent.

I glanced over at the coffee pot nervously before I looked back at him. “About half a cup...Derek what's going on?”

Derek pushed himself away from me and rushed to the cabinets. He searched through them and pulled out the coffee grounds. He popped opened the lid and leaned closer, sniffing the contents.

“Derek?” I stood up and walked over to him.

His eyebrows narrowed as he glanced over at me. “This...this doesn't smell right. I think something's in it,” he stated and sat the coffee down on the counter. He turned toward me and pressed his hands on both side of my head. He held my eyelid open with a finger as he examined my eyes. “Do you feel anything weird?”

“I...I don't think so,” I mumbled, trying to avoid looking at him, which was manually impossible.

He released my face and eyed me skeptically. “Your heart rate...it's slowing” he stated urgently, his hand holding onto my bicep.

Before he could say anything the kitchen window shattered. He gripped onto my shoulder and shoved me to the ground on my knees, his body hovering over mine.

I stayed crouched until Derek pulled my arm upwards. I stood up and glanced around. “What the hell just happened?” I asked and it seemed as if I got my answer immediately.

Derek was staring at a silver rectangle that was laying in the foliage of the broken window. 

Gas spurted out from all sides of the silver device, filling the air with smoke.

Derek ran towards it, but the smoke had already engulfed most of the room. He slowed down and fell to his knees a few feet away from it. 

I ran towards him and crouched beside him. “Derek?”

His breaths were raspy, like he couldn't reach out for oxygen. “Wolfsbane,” he panted out, shutting his eyes. His whole body tensed, his muscles clenching under the influence of the poison. 

I turned toward the box and gripped onto it. I pulled as hard as I could, but it was literally hooked into the ground. I turned my attention back to Derek. 

He writhed in agony on the ground, his claws digging into the hardwood. His legs scraped against the floor as he tried desperately to move. His eyes shot open, glowing red in the haze of the smoke. A helpless whine escaped his lips.

I couldn't stand it. I moved behind him and hooked my arms under his. I pulled his back up to my chest and dragged him away from the silver object. I took step by step, my legs cramping under the weight.

I made it into the living room before my head started swirling. My eyes blurred, everything becoming a haze. “Derek I...I can't see anything!” I yelled out, hoping that he heard me. My vision was completely lost, but I continued backwards. My foot hit something and I fell backwards, my body sprawling on the carpet. 

My vision was becoming darker, the once grayish haze was now being filled with black spots. I got onto my hands and knees and felt around. I remember feeling Derek's arm and wrapping mine under his. I remember pulling him closer to me and trying to yell out his name. Even my voice was blurred and distorted, sounding like a slow record in my ears. Just like my vision did, my hearing completely stopped and all that I could see was darkness. 

 

I woke up to Derek calling my name. My eyes flickered open and I was eye level with the barrel of a shotgun. I tried scooting backwards, but someone had a hold of the back of my neck. I squirmed beneath the grip, my eyes traveling to meet the eyes the gun wielder. “Kate? You enjoyed our previous talk so much that you've decided to return?”

Kate laughed. “Don't get so cocky Stilinski, look who's holding the shotgun now.”

My instincts told me to keep my eyes on the shotgun, but the rest of me wanted to look somewhere else...for someone else. I let my eyes travel the room and I spotted Derek crouched across from me.

He was down on his knees and he had two guns pointed directly at his head. He also had two other guys flanking behind him, with other weapons in hand. His eyes were glued on me.

“So Stilinski. I've decided that I wanted to move this little charade along. You see I would really like my property back and you're making this extremely difficult for me. So instead of just coming here and blowing your brains out I decided to have a civil conversation,” Kate stated and walked around me slightly. She pressed the shotgun barrel against my temple.

“Is this your idea of a civil conversation?” I grumbled.

She chuckled slightly. “Actually yeah it is. Compared to what I was going to do...this is definitely a much prettier approach,” she stated and tapped the barrel against my head.

I inhaled a deep breath, trying to keep my heart from rising too much. 

“Anyway, so yes I want my Derek back. I want you to hand him over easily or I think I'll pay a few other people a visit. Hmm...how about your old friend from school...the smart one? What was her name again...Lydia?” Kate walked back in front of me and crouched down into eye level, the shot gun laying on her knee. “Or maybe I'll pay the sheriff a little visit. That'd be kind of ironic, don't you think Stiles?”

I narrowed my eyes at her. “Stay away from him you bitch,” I yelled and spit at her, managing to hit her on her check.

The man that was holding my neck pulled me from the ground and slammed me into the wall.

I grunted, my head slamming into the hard wall. I started to move, until I felt a cold blade press against my neck. I stilled, my head against the wall, my breathing rapid as I tried to keep calm.

Derek tried pulling away from his surrounding guards. “Kate stop this. It's me that you want. Don't hurt him,” Derek stated slowly. His voice was calm, but desperation was covering his features.

Kate turned toward Derek. “He's the reason I no longer own you,” she stated. She shook her head. “That doesn't even matter.” She pointed the gun back at me. “Stiles, I do not like waiting. The longer it takes for you to hand over Derek, the worse it gets for you,” she stated slowly and started to walk out the room. She stopped and looked toward Derek. “Oh and just for old times sake,” she stated and nodded toward one of her men.

The man stepped forward and flicked out what looked like a wand.

Derek tensed, her body cowering in on itself as if he knew what was going to happen. 

The man pressed the wand against Derek's torso. Blue sparks lit up the wand and traveled into Derek.

Derek stilled, his body clenching as the electricity coursed through his veins. His claws extended and his eyes lit up from the pain. He collapsed backwards onto the ground, his limbs jerking from the current.

I inhaled a sharp breath and winced.

A noise that I could only recognize as a yelp rang through the room. He clenched his hands into fists, his nails digging into his flesh.

I glanced at the man that was holding me, whose eyes were on Derek. I took this opportunity, however stupid it may have been. I used my arm to pushed the man's hand away from me. I was slightly aware of a burning pain that shot through my arm. I ignored it though and attempted to run forward. “Stop!” I screamed right as my body was once again pushed to the ground. 

My chest slammed into the floor, knocking the breath out of me. I lifted my head up and looked up at Kate, who was staring down at me, a smirk plastered across her face. 

“This is just a warning Stiles,” she stated before she walked out of the room. Her men followed her as well, taking their tools of torture with them.

As soon as I heard the door shut I leaped to my feet, ignoring the pain I felt in my chest. I ran over to Derek and crouched down next to him. “Oh my god,” I muttered, my hands hovering over his trembling body.

His eyes were just now returning to normal, but his body was still jerking from the electricity. 

I watched as his eyes struggled to stay open. “Derek?” I gripped onto his arm and shook him.

His eyes opened slightly and he looked down at me. “My body...needs to get rid of...of the wolfsbane,” he panted out, his chest heaving as he talked.

I nodded quickly and placed my hands on his back. “You can go upstairs and rest,” I mumbled reassuringly, more to myself than to him.

I had to stay calm in this situation. Even though my mind was literally running around in circles. I honestly had no idea when Kate would attack next or who for that matter. So although I wanted to call every police officer I could and get them to track her down, I had to make sure that Derek was okay.

Derek stumbled to his feet, his foot scrambling to catch hold before he pulled himself up. His footing wavered slightly.

I held onto his back and steadied him. Inhaling a deep breath, I grabbed his arm and wrapped it over my shoulder. I took a few steps forward, Derek mimicking me with a lot less stamina than he normally has.

I had to thank my job seriously because being a deputy definitely came in handy with a lot of the stuff I was dealing with. Including dragging an alpha werewolf up the stairs and into his room. I tripped many times going up the stairs, but I managed to keep Derek off the floor.

His head lolled forward, his footing unsteady and slow. He kept his hands away from me as much as he could, his fingers outstretched. His claws and fangs were unpredictable, sporadically emerging before disappearing just as quick. 

“We're almost there,” I mumbled as I tugged him up the last stair. 

As we stumbled down the hallway, Derek had another wave of pain. He gasped and cringed away from me, his blunt fingers digging into my shoulder. 

I gripped tighter onto his side and rounded the corner into his room. When we made it to the bed, I rounded to the side and leaned forward allowing Derek to fall into the mattress.

He hit the bed with a deep sigh and his eyes automatically closed.

I nodded slowly and ran a hand through my hair, tugging at the roots nervously. I started to turn, to tell my dad what had just happened, but I stopped when a hand circled around my wrist. I looked down at Derek.

His thick hand was curled around my wrist, his grip unbreakable. His eyes were open slightly, his gaze focused on his own hand. His expression was blank as he pulled my arm closer to him.

I wearily let him pull me closer to the bed.

His grip only loosened when I allowed him to pull me onto the bed.

I didn't pull back when he placed my hand arm down in front of his face, forcing me to lay down. I watched him, trying to read him.

He kept his hand around my arm, but his eyes scanned me once before they shut. He released a breath, of what sounded like relief. 

I stayed still, my eyes watching him. I knew I needed to get up and tell my father what happened so we could get something done about it. Me and Derek could have been killed. We still could be, but yet I could feel myself drifting to sleep. Derek's warm breath on my arm and his loose grip on my wrist was surprisingly secure. I actually felt safe, which was more than I could say for my past. I feel asleep surprisingly fast and didn't wake up until the next morning. I wasn't plagued with nightmares or restlessness.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Stiles' luck seems to run out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, I'm so sorry for the late post. Between work and Florida's weather it's been pretty crazy.

When I woke up, I was lying on my stomach my arms folded underneath the pillow. The bed was cold and empty, with no wolf to warm it up. I rolled over and searched the empty room. 

The bed comforter was still scattered and the door was open.

I sat up and rubbed my face, I was slightly aware of the constant aroma of food wafting through the house. I pulled myself up and out of the bed and slowly made my way down into the kitchen.

Derek was flipping a pancake in the pan he held in his hand. A coffee mug was sitting in front of a chair at the bar.

I assumed my normal position and grabbed the cup in front of me. I settled down into the bar stool and looked up at Derek.

He placed the one pancake on a plate, that was sitting beside him, before he turned and looked at me. “You changed the settings on my collar?” He asked, his eyes locked on me.

I swallowed the drink I had taken and nodded slowly. “Yeah I did. How did you know?”

He kept his eyes on me as he spoke. “Yesterday, when I was affected by the wolfsbane, I changed. Many different times against my will. I would have been electrocuted, but I wasn't. So my question is why did you change it?”

I shrugged. “I didn't feel like you were a threat to me and obviously I made the right choice because without your werewolf abilities one of us would probably be dead,” I stated and swished the liquid in my cup around. I watched the dark liquid swirl around my cup, trying not to think about what had happened the last time I drank coffee. In the midst of my thinking I could hear Derek sigh.

He turned towards me and placed a plate in front of me. A plate full of stemming pancakes with syrup drizzled over them.

“You're not eating?” I asked and sat my mug down.

“I'm not hungry,” he mumbled, body busy with returning dishes back to their place.

I nodded and picked up my fork. I started slicing small pieces of my pancake up and popping it into my mouth. The taste was amazing. I swear Derek had to be a chef in his past life because any food he got his hands on was pure bliss.

Derek turned toward me and placed his palms on the counter in front of him. He hesitated slightly before he spoke. “You shouldn't of bought me.”

I froze, my fork halfway to my mouth, and looked up at him. “What?”

He blew air out through his nose and met my gaze straight on.”You shouldn't of bought me,” he stated, louder this time.

I dropped my fork back down onto my plate. “Don't say that,” I mumbled, my eyes scanning him. I didn't want him thinking that I blamed him for this. None of this was his fault and I never thought it was.

“What else am I supposed to say?...If you wouldn't of bought me then your  life wouldn't be in danger. You could live a normal life without constantly looking over your shoulder.”

I shook my head. “What about you Derek? You'd be burdened with a lifetime in cages,” I retaliated.

“Stiles, who I am. What I am, has already burdened me to a lifetime in cages. I'm an animal, just like the rest of my kind. Why should I be any different?” He mumbled and started to walk out the kitchen.

“You're different because you actually have someone who cares about your kind, someone who definitely does not regret buying you,” I called after him. I saw a slight falter in his stride out of the kitchen, but he didn't stop.

I put my head in my hands and inhaled a deep breath. I hoped what I said had actually made it through to him. I meant it. I did care about werewolves and what happened to them. I knew that buying him was probably the best thing that happened to me in a long time. I wanted to go and talk to him, sort everything out, but I knew that he needed time. We both did. Unfortunately I had to take my time to call my dad and report what happened at my house.

The minute I told him he freaked out. He asked me a million questions. What did she say? What did she do? What did you do? Apart from being an officer, my father still found time to be well...my father. After I explained the big information, he made sure I was alright emotionally. I told him that I was okay and uninjured. As serious as this was, I still smiled when my father asked how Derek was doing. I tried to be a little vague since he was only a few rooms away. I told him that we were both physically and mentally drained, but apart from that we were fine. 

He told me that if anything else happened to call him or the station immediately. He said that he loved me and for both of us to be careful.

The rest of the day was a day full of naps and boring television. I'm assuming Derek was either reading or sleeping because I didn't see any sign of him the rest of the day. I had heard him fixing lunch and dinner, but by the time I was able to get to the kitchen whatever he was fixing was done and he was gone. He didn't speak to me at all or even tell me that dinner was ready, which was extremely odd. Derek wasn't much of a talker anyway, but I hadn't heard any grunts, sighs, or any other normal Derek communication. 

I went to bed that night, feeling odd and empty. Without hearing Derek, or seeing his scowly sourwolfyness, the house honestly felt empty and cold. I managed to sleep, to my own surprise. 

My silent treatment, I guess that's what it was, continued into the morning as well. Derek was still in his room and no breakfast was made. That honestly didn't bother me to much, it was the fact that I had no one to greet. Although, in the morning, I do much of the greeting. Derek's vocabulary in the early morning seems to be even more limited than it normally is. It was just odd to wake up to an empty, still house.

I grabbed my jacket out of my room and walked down the stairs. “I'm going to run to the store Derek.” I called over my shoulder as I picked up my keys and made my way out the front door. 

I would of brought him, but I was pretty sure he wanted to be as far away from me as werewolf possible. His kind was allowed out in public as long as his behavior wasn't aggressive in any kind of way. His collar had to be uncovered and I had to be wearing my bracelet at all times. Which I was willing to obey if Derek wanted to go, but he probably wouldn't feel the same.

I hated to admit, but the whole shopping trip my mind kept wandering. Everything Derek had said was absolutely true. If I wouldn't of bought him, my life wouldn't be in danger. Yet his life was in danger no matter what. He was safest with someone like me, someone that didn't treat his kind as animals. I wanted to tell him that I didn't think of him that way, but it probably wouldn't matter. He's probably been lied to so many times that it doesn't matter what I say to him. As long as he sees and senses that he's safe then I guess it didn't really matter. Which considering how on edge I've been lately, he probably doesn't feel safe at all.

I managed to make it out of the store without forgetting everything I had went there to get. I juggled the bags on my arms, four pairs of handle rings cutting into my circulation. I walked out to my car, the car garage roof capturing the cars around me in darkness. When I reached my Jeep I sat my load of groceries onto the pavement. I reached into my pocket and pulled out my keys. 

A loud gunshot echoed throughout the car garage, making me jump and drop my keys. Following the gunshot was a pop and a rush of air. 

I bent down and picked up my keys, my eyes traveling the length of my Jeep. I glanced around, checking for anyone, before I rounded the front part of my Jeep. I looked down at my front tire, which was completely blew to shreds. My eyes narrowed, my mind immediately going into defense mode. I stood up and eyed my surroundings. Someone had just blew a hole in my tire and there was no way it was an accident.

I reached in my pocket and pulled my phone out, prepared to dial 911. Before I could even unlock my phone something was put over my head, completely blocking my view of the world. I dropped my phone, probably shattering it in the process. I tried to struggle, but someone gripped onto my arms locking them behind my back. I kicked out, desperately trying to get out of the hold my attackers had on me. It was useless, it felt like it was more than one person holding my limbs. My body was placed onto the ground and I could feel something heavy press into my back.

“Get the hell off me,” I screamed, my voice muffled from the bag. I tried squirming, but the pressure on my back only got worse. My legs were forced to the ground and something was tied around them, holding them together. 

I could hear voices, a lot of them. They were muffled and quiet preventing me from targeting who was doing this to me. Though it wasn't hard to guess.

My defensive survival had kicked in. My mind was thinking of ways to get out of this instead of just freaking out. I guess that's another plus of being an officer. It forced my mind to be able to think before I freak out.

I could feel something being wrapped around my wrists before my body was lifted off the ground. I was laid down after a few seconds, my legs curled up uncomfortably. My hands tucked behind my back. 

The bag was yanked off my face, flooding my eyes with light. I blinked a few times and looked around. I was in a trunk, the door still open, with Kate standing in front of me. 

“Why hello Stilinski. It's nice seeing you here,” she stated, a smirk playing on her features.

I eyed her. “You won't get away with this,” I stated.

“Oh were well aware of the laws we've broken...and trust me this isn't the last law. You should of listened Stiles,” she stated and reached into her pocket. She pulled out a small tube. The tube was black and a needle stuck out of the end. She uncapped the needle and looked down at me. 

I froze, my panic finally taking over. “No no no,” I stammered and tried pulling my feet out of their restraints. 

“Not so cocky now, huh Stilinski?” she smirked and pressed the needle into the skin on my arm. 

I felt the sharp prick of the needle, before a cold sensation spread through my arm. The sensation curled through my vein and churned in my body. I clenched my fists, trying to keep my eyes open, but it wasn't working. My body was shutting down. My limbs becoming heavy, my eyelids fluttering, and my head lolling back. The second my head rested against the floor of the trunk my eyes shut and my mind blanked out. 


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Some things are worse than pain.

 

It felt like I had been asleep for only minutes, but it was clear it had to be more. My eyes fluttered open, slowly revealing the room around me. I was lying on a cement floor in what seemed like an abandon warehouse. It was dark and musty and I had no idea where I was. I pushed myself off  the ground and stood up. My legs were a little stiff, but other than that I was okay. I tried to get a feel for my surroundings, but it was too dark to see anything. I had to get out of here and find Derek. That was probably the first place Kate went. Distract me and then steal Derek, it was a good tactic, but the minute I got out of here I was going to my father and start rallying reinforcement's.

“Hello Stiles.”

I turned toward the voice, locking my thoughts up in my mind. I was not alone in here. My eyes connected with Kate's. “I'm not going to give Derek up. I hope you know that,” I stated. My confidence stayed for a few seconds until Kate smirked.

She took a step closer to me. “Oh Stiles. You've got it all wrong. We're not here to beat you into complying,” she mumbled and stopped right in front of me. “Your stubbornness is something we just couldn't get around. We had to find a different tactic. So no Stiles we're not going to convince you...we're sending a message. Unfortunately we're inflicting that message upon you,” she taunted, her voice dancing over the threat. She pulled her fist back and aimed at my face.

I was able to block her attack, while internally thanking my years in the field. 

She looked surprised, but she came back with another punch with her other fist. Her fist slammed right against my temple.

I grunted, pain lighting up my face. My head throbbed as I stumbled backwards, the attack catching me off guard. That was all Kate needed to gain the upper hand.

She landed another punch to my jaw knocking me off my feet. I hit the rough floor and Kate was immediately on top of me. Another punch knocked my head back against the floor. I could feel her pin me against the ground as a metallic taste assaulted my mouth. 

She yanked a weapon out of her belt as she pinned my hands to the ground with her knees. I saw the glimmer of steel just before she swung the blade she held through my stomach, slashing through my flesh like butter. 

I winced, trying to hold myself together. I kicked my legs and yanked my arms fiercely. After a few attempts I was able to pull my arms from under her, but not before she sliced my arm with her knife. I grabbed her hand on the the next blow, stopping her advance on me. I pressed my thumb deep into her wrist, digging my nail into the skin.

She let out a scream before she dropped the knife.

I reached for it, but before I could grab it Kate kicked it out of reach.

She stood up off of me and took a step back.

I leaned over to the side and spit out the red liquid that had gathered in my mouth. I looked back up at Kate, my eyes narrowing at her. 

She stared down at me for a brief second before she smiled a sadistic smirk, that chilled me straight to the core. She flared her nostrils and lifted her leg. She let out a sharp breath just before she slammed her boot down on my shin.

A blinding pain curled up through my leg. I let out scream that didn't sound entirely human. The pain tugged and pulled, like my leg was literally being pulled from my body. Fire lapped at my nerves, scorching my veins in agonizing pain. The unbearable pain sucked the air out of my lungs. I threw my head back, my hands clenching into fists. I tried desperately to get the pain to go away, but it was throbbing. With every shot of pain came an intense wave of fire. I inhaled short, raspy breaths, trying to ease the pain. I looked up at Kate.

Right when my pain had just started to ease, she once again slammed her boot into the same spot as before. 

I heard my cry of pain, my scream of agony, for a brief second before I was engulfed in darkness. Taking from consciousness by the pain that overtook my leg.

 

I woke from a small movement that knocked my head into something hard. My eyes flickered open, taking in my surroundings. I was in a car, one that I assumed was Kate's. I could see her and another person sitting in the front seat, talking about something. I could hear my name and Derek's being said.

Everything that I gathered from her plan made sense. Beat the crap out of me, a human that couldn't heal, to make a statement. A statement meant for Derek. It was a smart move, but it wasn't going to come without a price and I was going to make sure she paid that price. 

“Do you really think this is far enough?” The man in the front stated.

“He needs to be somewhere that Derek can find him easily. We are not hiding a body...we're sending a message. This is all apart of my plan,” Kate mumbled, her fingers tapping against the wheel.

“How do you know Derek will fall for the bait?”

“Did you see the look on his face when I pressed the shotgun to Stiles’ temple?...He will fall for it.”

Before I could see or hear anything else, my eyes shut once again. I don't remember anything else from that car ride.

 

I do remember waking up shivering and surrounded by darkness. I lifted my head and looked around. I was in the woods surrounded by dark trees that loomed over me. I had no idea where I was or where I needed to go. I was freezing, my whole body convulsing from the cold. I had to get up and try to find my house, or somewhere that had heat and friendly faces. 

I placed my hands beneath me and started to get up. The second I moved my right leg a drilling ache shot up my leg, a nauseating pain that gnawed at my bones like a hungry carnivore. I screamed out, the cry of pain coming from me involuntary. I stilled and inhaled a shaky breath. I could feel tears rolling down my cheeks.

That was probably worse than the physical pain. The fact that Kate was actually able to pull this off. The fact that she had beaten me so badly that I was lying on the forest floor crying out in the hopes that someone would hear me. It was a crushing feeling, feeling as though you are helpless.  I didn't even know how I was going to make it out of this forest alive. 

“Stiles?.....Stiles?”

I could hear someone calling my name before I heard a rustle of brush nearby. I felt someone touch my arm lightly.

I jumped slightly and turned toward the touch. “Derek,” I breathed out.

“Stiles, you're freezing,” he mumbled and grabbed me.

I winced, my leg burning with the small movement. I could feel his warmth surround me, warming my body up. I shivered and leaned into the warm embrace. I tried to say something, but all that came out was incoherent gibberish. I felt something warm grab my arm, shaking it lightly.

“Stiles?...Stiles? Wake up.”

I opened my eyes and looked up at Derek, who was staring down at me. I watched his green eyes flicker over my body nervously. I could feel him tighten his grip on me as he stood up. With the movement came a sharp pain in my leg. I grunted, my leg throbbing intensely. I remember watching Derek's face. The determination that was carved into his features and the random flicks of despair and rage. I looked up at his jawline. The last thought I had before I blacked out once more was about how freaking straight Derek's stubble line was. It was the most stupidest last thought. Nothing poetic, which I guess my brain never is. I at least expected some sarcasm or something, but nope. My brain thought that his jawline was the most important thing at that moment.


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Learning to depend on people is a lot harder for Stiles than he thought it would be.

It felt like I was out forever, like I had slept for months. Which given how intense the last few weeks have been I can't say I didn't enjoy it. When I did finally wake up I was blinded by white light. I cleared my throat and tried to move, but something held my leg in place. I tried jerking it away, but it was stuck on something. I started panicking, trying to flail my way out of my constriction. 

“Stiles, it's me,” I could hear my father say urgently.

I looked toward him, my body relaxing. I sat up and stared at him for a few seconds. I breathed deeply, events coming back to me.

“Are you okay son?”

I nodded slowly and ran a hand over my face. “Yeah...where...where's Derek?”

My father looked past me towards the back of the room.

I followed his gaze and almost leaped from the hospital bed. 

Derek was kneeling on the ground surrounded by three different men. One held Derek's hands behind his back. One had a blade pressed against Derek's neck, forcing Derek's head upwards, and the other had a pistol pressed to his temple. Derek struggled to stay still, his breaths short and shallow. His nostrils flared and his lip was raised in a slight snarl, but his eyes were focused on me. The only thing I saw in his eyes were concern and relief. 

I looked up at the men holding him. “What the hell do you think you're doing?”

The man behind Derek, the one holding his hands, was the only one to speak. “Given that this werewolf harmed you, he will be slaughtered with your okay.”

I scoffed, my eyes narrowing at the man. “Slaughtered? Harmed me?...Wow you guys are idiots. This werewolf saved my life. If it wasn't for him I would be wasting away in the woods.”

“Don't pin this on us. We're doing our job. He came in with your blood on him.”

“And? That doesn't justify holding a knife to his neck. He had my blood on him because he carried me from the woods. Your 'job' is no longer required here so I suggest you release him,” I stated, eyeing each and everyone of them.

“He's just animal,” the man muttered, looking down at Derek.

“Then you should be charged for animal abuse, or destruction of property, or assault...no matter what you label him as there will be a charge for harming him. I can promise you that,” I stated slowly, my voice never faltering.

The men slowly backed off, releasing Derek.

Derek's arms dropped to his sides and his gaze dropped to the ground. He stayed kneeling, non moving.

I watched the men leave the room, one by one, praying they didn't cause anymore problems. 

The minute the men were out the door, Derek stood up and walked over to the hospital bed. 

I released a breath and leaned back against my headboard. I looked down at my arms. Slashes were scattered along my arms from the blade that Kate had used. My leg was in a cast and up in a sling. I couldn't feel anything, but I wasn't sure if that was just because of the pain medicine. “What happened?”

My father placed his hand on my arm. “You were in rough shape when Derek found you in the woods. He brought you straight here where they called me. The doctor said you'll be off your feet for a few weeks, but that you will be able to go home tomorrow. I'm already launching an investigation to find Kate,” he stated slowly.

I nodded and looked up at Derek. “Are you okay?”

His eyes traveled the length of me, hesitating on my cast. He looked at me, examining my face. “I'm fine,” he muttered, his eyes averting from mine. He looked down, his hand clasped behind his back, his shoulders tensing.

I wanted to say something else to him, but my dad started talking before I could.

“You won't be working for a while Stiles. Which I'm pretty sure you already knew that. Don't worry about anything though,” he stated slowly. 

My father was telling the truth, he had worked everything out. He left the hospital that night to go to the station and then to get some sleep. Derek stayed, he probably could of gone with my father since he was capable, but he decided to stay with me. A part of me worried about him, worried that Kate would try to attack him. The other part of me knew that my dad had a weapon with him at all times and that he was very well capable of taking care of himself. Besides Melissa with him most of the time anyway, when she wasn't checking in on Scott. 

I probably could relax about Kate, her plan had worked. I was harmed and Derek was moping in the corner. Clearly this affected him, I wasn't sure in what way though. He was tense all the time again, and he wouldn't look me in the eye.

That night was full of restless sleep and annoying beeping. The smell bothered me the most, it was terrifyingly familiar. I kept waking up to the sound of muffled voices outside my room. 

Derek was sitting in the closest chair, his arms crossed and his head tipped back against the couch. He looked so uncomfortable, but so peaceful at the same time. 

By the morning I probably got three hours of sleep, the rest were spent staring at the ceiling listening to the heart monitor buzz. 

My father got to the hospital really early, Melissa right behind him. I introduced Melissa to Derek, who shook his hand and talking to him like he was an actual person. 

I could see Derek loosen up a little more. 

Melissa didn't stay long because she had a shift today, which required her to be on the floor dealing with much more important cases than me.

“Alright Stiles. The doctors said as soon as breakfast is over they're going to get started on your paperwork then you will be able to go home,” my father stated and plopped down in a nearby chair. 

I breathed out. “Finally.”

There was a light tap on the door, just before a small nurse tiptoed in. She placed a tray on my side table and smiled at me. 

“Excuse me?” I asked as I eyed the tray clearly made for one person.

The nurse stopped and turned toward me. “Yes, Mr. Stilinski.”

“I don't know if this would be possible but, could I get an extra fork?” I asked and smiled at her.

She nodded quickly. “Of course. For your father?”

I paused and watched her, my smile fading. “No.”

She glanced wearily at Derek before her eyes returned to me. “For your...dog?”

I narrowed my eyes at her. “For my werewolf? Yes,” I clarified.

“Oh well I can't do that. It's prohibited for the hospital to waste food on his kind,” she stated, her whole demeanor changing, becoming defensive. 

I could sense Derek stiffen next to me. I stared her down. “His kind? What the hell is that supposed to mean?”

My father put his hand on my shoulder. “Stiles I'll go and pick something up. It's fine,” he tried calming me down. 

“No it's not fine. He should be able to eat like any human here can. This is ridiculous. Here Derek,” I stated and grabbed the steak off my tray. I handed it over to Derek, who took it quickly. I could tell he was holding in a smile and I could tell I was close to saying something stupid to this nurse.

The nurse paused and eyed me. She opened her mouth to say something.

“Say it...I dare you,” I warned.

She straightened her blouse before she stomped out.

I inhaled a deep breath and grabbed the pudding cup off the tray. I grabbed the spoon and stabbed the paper. 

“Half of me wants to say good job son, but if the way your stabbing that cup is any indication how you feel right now...I think I should just stay quiet.”

I glanced over at my father and chuckled. 

Derek sat the empty plate on my tray and smiled at me.

It wasn't long after that when we left the hospital. My father pushed me in the wheelchair as Derek walked alongside me, his head down. He wasn't allowed to push me or drive, so my father had to do both. 

When we got to the house, my father pulled me up the stairs in the wheelchair with Derek subtly helping. We got inside with almost no trouble and my father turned toward me. 

“Alright, I've got to go into the station again and check on everything,” he mumbled and ran his hand through his hair.

I looked up at him. “Are you getting any sleep? Dad you should go home and rest.” 

He looked rough, almost as rough as I felt. “No...not while Kate is still out there roaming the streets.”

I sighed slowly and looked down. As much as I wanted Kate to be found, I wanted my dad to be healthy more. Of course I knew he wouldn't do that, he was my father after all. He was probably more stubborn than I ever was.

“Lydia will be over in the next few days to pick up groceries for the house. You know her, she jumped on the idea for shopping for someone else. So....expect more than just food,” he stated and smiled. He leaned down into my chair and wrapped his arms around me. 

I embraced him as well, feeling like a frail child that had broken their leg playing ball. This was way more serious though. I had to remind myself that I could have been murdered, which would of ruined Kate's plan. I'm sure she could and would come up with something else regardless if things go her way or not. 

We said our goodbyes and my father left. I just wanted to pass out right in my wheelchair. The lack of sleep from the night before was slamming into me.

I grabbed onto my wheels and turned toward Derek. “You think I can pop a wheelie in this thing?”

Derek rose his eyebrows at me. He tried to keep a straight face, but a slight smile broke through. 

I chuckled lightly before I rolled myself over to the stairs. “Alright all jokes aside I'm going to bed. I don't even care that it's like twelve o'clock,” I stated and stopped at the base of the stairs. I grabbed the railing with both hands and stood up with my good leg. There was a slight ache that traveled through my leg, but that faded away quickly. That freaking medicine was powerful. I balanced on my good leg and hopped closer to the first stair. I was about to lift myself up onto the first stair when I was literally scooped off my feet. I yelped as my body was lifted off the ground, bridal style. 

Derek didn't pay much attention to my yelp of protest. He just continued up the stairs.

“What are you doing?” I questioned, squinting up at him.

He glanced down at me for a brief second before his gaze returned in front of him. “I'm not going to let you hobble up the stairs, step by step,” he stated, a slight smirk playing on his lips.

I huffed out a breath, but I have to admit being carried up the stairs felt way better.

He carried me up the stairs and into my room, without saying a word. When he got close to my bed, he stopped and bent down. He gently sat me on the edge of the bed. He held onto my arm for a second longer, stabilizing me before he took a step back.

I opened my mouth to say something, but my mind went completely blank.  I wanted to make some sort of sarcastic remark to ease the awkwardness, but I didn't know if that would make it worse.

Derek stared at me for a few seconds, before his eyes trailed the ground. He turned quickly and walked out my room.

I released a breath and ran my hand through my hair. I probably just freaked him out because I couldn't be normal about what had just happened. What I am freaking out about though, he was the one that did it.

Before I could freak myself out anymore Derek walked in, pushing my wheelchair in front of him. He parked it in reaching distance.

“Thank you,” I stated and grabbed my cast. With my hands I lifted my leg off the ground and moved it onto the bed. I then moved my good leg onto the bed and laid back.

Derek nodded slowly. “I'll be in my room. Just call if you need anything, okay?” he stated, eyeing my leg for a brief second.

I nodded and watched him inhaled a deep breath before he walked out the room once more.

I tried to just relax and close my eyes, but my leg was heavy and I could barely move it. I felt paralyzed and that freaked me out more than anything. I inhaled a deep breath, I couldn't freak myself out. This was what Kate would of wanted, me to completely break and crumble. I shut my eyes and let my body relax. I didn't think about the fact that my leg was weighed down by a cast or that the reason I had that cast was because someone had shattered my shin. Nope, only happy thoughts.


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Most of the time the presence of your friends makes the pain go away.

Apparently that thought process didn't work because my dream was everything but happy. I was in my house rolling through the kitchen. Something felt off, it felt weird and I couldn't really explain why. I wheeled into the living and stopped abruptly.

Derek was lying on the floor, looking up at the ceiling. His eyes were open and dazed. His mouth was hanging open and blood was trickling down the side of his face.

“Oh my god. Derek!” I yelled, but my voice was different. It was echoing as if I was in an empty mansion. I started to move closer to him, but something hit my chest sending my wheelchair falling backwards. I coughed, the force knocking the wind out of me. My back hit the ground and I couldn't move. I inhaled sporadic breaths, trying to get my breathing back to normal. I gripped onto my neck and coughed. 

I could feel something yank my wheelchair from me, causing my leg to hit the floor. I cried out as a sharp pain shot up my leg, igniting my nerves. I held onto my leg and sat up.

In front of me was Kate, her arms crossed with a twisted smirk on her face. 

She didn't say anything. The only thing she did was lift her foot and slam it down on my uninjured leg.

 

I screamed out, my eyes shooting open to embrace darkness. I moved frantically, trying to pull myself out of the restraints I was in. “No no no,” I pleaded, my hands frantically yanking at the fabric that was around me. My breathing was quick and ragged. I kicked my legs, one of them had to be buckled down. I panicked, pain shooting up the leg that was shackled down.

There was a bright light that engulfed the room, blinding me and my sight.

I could hear a door swing open and someone run into the room. “No don't hurt me,” I breathed out, trying to scoot further away. It wasn't working though, I couldn't move.

I felt someone grab my shoulders. I squeezed my eyes shut and flinched away. Slowly, my hearing came back to me and I could hear someone yelling my name. I opened my eyes and they connected with Derek's light green eyes.

“Stiles?” he questioned, his eyes scanning my face, a worried crease in his brow. His bright eyes watched me.

I breathed deeply and looked down at my legs. What I thought was my shackles was my cast and instead of restraints around me, my blanket was tangled around my body. “Oh my god,” I breathed out.

Derek pulled his hands back, but kept his eyes on me.

I curled my good leg up to my chest and put my head in my hands. I tried to relax and let my breathing slow. I felt Derek place his hand on my arm, just before my limbs numbed. It felt like I was being sedated, but my mind was still sharp. My brow curled as I dropped my hands from my face and looked over at him. 

His hand was curled around my arm and his eyes were shut, concentration flooding his features. Black veins were spread along his hand and curling up his wrist,

I could feel my body relax and my anxiety go away.

He grunted and pulled his hand back, flexing his fingers as the black veins slowly disappeared.

“What did you just do?” I asked slowly and carefully, scared that he was going to shut down again.

He opened his eyes and looked up at me before he stood to his feet. “I took away some of your pain,” he stated slowly

I looked down at the spot his hand was on my arm. “I didn't know you could do that,” I stated and looked back up at him.

He shrugged. “Most humans don't,” he stated before he walked out of the room, cracking the door behind him.

I smiled to myself and looked around my room. It was still dark outside. I knew I hadn't gotten much sleep at all so I decided to try and catch a few more hours. Not surprisingly at all, I couldn't sleep and my tossing and turning was getting old. So I decided to grab my laptop from my nightstand and browse the internet. At first I was on Youtube, watching stupid videos of stupid people doing stupid things. Of course, that didn't last long though. My Google searches slowly started turning into more business related stuff and pretty soon I found myself stumbling upon the article about my kidnapping and assault. My father wasn't kidding, pretty much the whole station was on the lookout for her.

After a few minutes of this article I had had enough. I decided that, in that moment, stupid Youtube videos would be better for my mental state. I watched videos and googled stupid questions I had until the sun came up.

I had heard Derek get up and into the shower. I was perfectly capable of getting to stuff upstairs on my own, so getting to the bathroom was no problem. Now the kitchen was a different story. So I killed time sitting in my wheelchair, staring out my bedroom window. 

When Derek was done I had to suffer through another awkward carry session, but for bacon and eggs I would do anything. Most of the day was spent laying around, especially for me.

I was on the recliner, my foot propped up on a pillow, when the doorbell rang. I turned toward the door and watched as Derek peeped out the window. “Who is it?” I stated quietly, fear starting to rise in me. I put down the recliner and grabbed my wheelchair. I pushed myself out of the recliner and hobbled over to my wheelchair. I plopped down in it and turned toward Derek.

“Some girl....with a ton of shopping bags.”

I chuckled lightly. “I definitely know who that is,” I stated and rolled over to the door. I unlocked it and opened it, rolling backwards so it could swing open.

“Stiles!”

“Hey Lydia,” I smiled and motioned her in.

She rushed in, her hair pulled up in a messy bun. “Today has been a workout. Which any workout that involves shopping is my type of exercise,” she chirped and placed all of the bags in the kitchen.

I shut the door and turned toward her.

She basked in her mountain of shopping bags before she turned toward me. “Now hugs,” she grinned and ran over to me. She bent down and wrapped her arms around me. “I can't believe this happened to you,” she mumbled, her mood darkening for a slight second.

I hugged her back, feeling the warmth of a friend. I couldn't take all this depression and pity though. So, of course, like I always do I changed the subject to make the awkwardness go away. “This is the first time I have seen you wear less than a 3 inch heel in public,” I stated, my gaze dropping to her shoes.

She back further away from me and looked down at her shoes. “Ugh, I know right.” She turned toward Derek, her smile broadening. “So this is your hunky werewolf?” 

I started to open my mouth to say something, but anything I could've said about that comment would of either embarrassed me or insulted Derek  and I wanted neither of those choices. 

“I'm Lydia,” she stated and stuck her hand out to him.

Derek smiled, a weary smile, but it was a smile. “Derek,” he stated and shook her hand.

Lydia nodded at him before she turned toward me once again. “Alright enough chit chat. Time for the gifts,” she chirped and bounded into the kitchen.

I followed her in my chair. “Gifts?”

Lydia glanced at me over her shoulder. “You know I can't just buy groceries. Talk about boring. And besides I give the best gifts,” she stated and proceeded to pull out many different things. 

At the end of her presentation, me and Derek had probably five different outfits. She had bought me some movies and a couple video games. She bought Derek some books and a whole kitchens worth of food. 

She stayed a little longer after that, basically just sitting around and talking with me about anything and everything.

Derek used this time to fix dinner.

As soon as Lydia left Derek and I ate dinner and we sat down and watched some tv. 

I glanced over at Derek before I sat up and scooted my wheelchair closer to me. I got up and hopped over to my chair before I sat down.

Derek looked over at me. “Going upstairs?”

“Yeah I um...have to take a bath,” I mumbled and rolled out of the room towards the stairs. I stopped in front of them and stood up, waiting for Derek.

He walked up behind me and scooped me into his arms. He carried me upstairs and sat me on my bed before he walked back out the room. He returned seconds later, pushing my wheelchair. He stopped it in front of me and held it steady as I switched from the bed to the chair.

“I'll get you some clean towels.”

I nodded and watched Derek leave the room. I gathered clean clothes and made my way into the bathroom. I sat my clothes on the toilet and turned toward the mirror hanging on the door. I stared into the floor length mirror. I could see how bad I really looked. I had a bruise that stretched from my ear to my nose. Cuts were decorated along my face and my neck had a bruise that stretched all the way around. My lip was busted open and just starting to heal. My skin was pale, paler than it normally was. 

I jumped when the door opened. I scooted back and looked down at the ground.

“Here's some towels,” he stated and sat them next to the tub. When he stood back up he paused.

I looked up at him and watched his eyes narrow.

His eyes moved from me to the mirror then back to me. He opened his mouth to say something, but he quickly changed his mind and walked out of the room. He gently shut the door behind him.

I stayed in the same spot for a second, before I moved. I didn't dare look back into the mirror. Instead, I turned toward the bath and pushed myself towards it. I honestly have no idea how I managed to undress myself and successfully get into the bath without breaking another bone in my body. I was pretty proud of myself until I actually got out. I had managed to get my cast stuck inside of my shorts. I tugged on the fabric causing a sharp pain to flare up my leg. I inhaled a sharp breath and gently tried fixing my shorts. I cursed under my breath right as I finally managed to get my leg through.

There was a light knock at the door. “Are you...okay?” Derek asked, slight hesitation lacing his voice.

I grabbed my shirt and slipped it over my head before I spoke. “Um yeah...I just,” I started and turned. I rolled over to the door and opened it.

Derek was standing in the hallway, watching me carefully.

“I just got my leg stuck,” I stated and smiled.

Derek looked down at the ground, a slight smile playing on his lips.

“Alright I'm heading to bed,” I stated and watched Derek nod slowly before he looked up at me.

He stepped sideways allowing me room to pass, but he kept his eyes on me.

I grabbed onto my wheels and started to push myself forward. I stopped when I felt Derek's hand grip onto my bicep. I stilled and looked up at him.

He drew his hand back slowly, but his gaze stayed on me. His eyes lowered, his gaze trailing the wounds on my neck before he looked back up at me. “You don't have to do this,” he mumbled, his voice low and careful.

“Do what?”

“This. All of it. The shelter, the protection, the vigilante act that you're striving for,” Derek stated, his voice raising slightly.

I stared at him blankly for a few seconds, before I was able to gather my thoughts. “I'm not striving to become this hero. In fact everything that I have done has had the exact opposite result. People view me as a hypocrite...and to be quite honest, I don't care. So I'm so sorry that I'm trying to help you and keep you from having to suffer,” I mumbled, sarcasm lacing my voice. I kept his gaze even though he towered over me.

Derek's nostrils flared as he stared down at me for a few seconds. “That's not what I meant. All I'm saying is that when you change your mind about keeping me I won't blame you,” he mumbled, impatiently.

I sighed. “I've already made my mind up Derek. She's not winning this. So whatever it takes I'm willing to do it.”

Derek opened his mouth to say something, but it seemed he changed his mind again. His eyes trailed the ground before he turned and walked down the hall. 

I watched him retreat into his room before I continued into my room. This was one topic that Derek would not get a say in. When I made it into my room I rolled over to my bed and put the brakes on. I pushed myself up onto my good leg and hobbled over to my bed before I plopped down. I pulled my legs up onto the bed and tried to make myself comfortable. I wanted to at least try and get more sleep tonight.

I managed to get comfortable, but I wasn't able to stop the flood of nightmares that shrouded my mind.


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A physical and mental recovery.

This one definitely wasn't as bad as the one before. I was in the same basement from before, but this time I was shackled down. The room was engulfed in a warm light in the beginning of the dream. The walls slowly darkened and eventually I was being devoured by the immense darkness. Every limb that was taken over in darkness lit up in an immense pain. Eventually it felt like my head was going to explode. At least I didn't wake up hysterically crying.

I shot upright in bed, my breathing short and raspy. I gripped onto my bed sheets, my eyes frantically darting around the room, darting around my room. I breathed deeply, trying to get my breathing under control. 

“Stiles?”

I heard a quiet voice ask. I looked up toward the voice, my eyes adjusting to the darkness.

Derek was sitting in my computer chair, facing me. He watched me carefully, leaning forward slightly in the chair. “Are you okay?”

I sighed and nodded slowly. “Uh...yeah. I'm okay,” I mumbled, running a nervous hand through my hair. I watched him settle back into the chair. 

He kept his eyes on me though. “Try to get some sleep,” he stated slowly.

I let my eyes linger on him for a second before I obeyed him. I laid back down and pulled the covers up to my shoulders, shrouding my body in warmth. I shut my eyes and forced my body to calm down. I focused on the light sounds of Derek's breathing, instead of the basement I had once been in. 

The rest of the night was okay. I was able to get a few more hours of sleep before the sun came up and I wasn't plagued by nightmares. When I woke up that next morning Derek wasn't in the chair, but I could hear him in the kitchen. 

We both ate breakfast and no one mentioned the night before. I guess there wasn't really much to mention since Derek was just doing his job,  watching out for me.

I talked to my dad, who really didn't have much to report. He badgered me about resting up and getting better. He also said that they were still searching for Kate and that they had questioned her close family.

After the call I played my new video games out in the living room, while Derek pretending to not be interested with the game and only interested in his book. I knew it was a lie though, at one point he actually put his book down to watch an intense fight scene between me and these zombies.

“The calm before the storm.”

I stopped my slow crawl from room to room in the game and looked over at Derek. “What?”

His eyes scanned the page in front of him before he looked over at me. “You should craft everything you can now before you continue on. You have an opportunity now...later you might run into a bloater,” he mumbled, his eyes traveling back to the book.

My eyes widened, a smiled forming on my face. “So you have been paying attention. I have verbal confirmation now,” I yelled and rose my controller in the air in celebration. 

Derek chuckled lightly and sat his book down on the table in front of him before he stood up. “I'm going to make dinner. I'll be back before an intense scene,” he mumbled as he passed me.

He finished dinner really quickly and returned with two plates in hand.

I paused the game and grabbed mine. “Thank you,” I stated and smiled down at the array of foods. The food was nothing special, just grilled chicken with some steamed vegetables and a baked potato, but once again it was delicious. I ate quickly and picked up my controller as soon as I finished.

Derek seemed to be happy that he had something to watch while he ate. 

I glanced over at Derek briefly before my eyes returned to the screen. “So the full moon's coming,” I mumbled, but kept my attention on the video game. I heard Derek grunt in response. “Do I need to...do anything?”

“I can control myself. I have been since I was little,” he mumbled his voice low and hesitant.

I nodded slowly. “Just making sure,” I mumbled.

Derek stood up and grabbed my plate from the table before he proceeded into the kitchen.

I ended up binge playing my new games for the rest of the night. Derek was in and out of the living room, but he didn't say anything else to me. He seemed tense, and I was afraid that he had taken my question and assumed that I would lock him up anyway. I kept my mouth shut though, I wasn't about to take an already touchy subject and make it a thousand times worse.

Before bed Derek once again carried me up the stairs, without a word. He sat me on my bed turned to leave.

“Good night Derek,” I stated, a little more louder than I intended.

Derek stalled slightly, nodding his head at me before he exited the room. He shut the door behind him.

I inhaled a deep breath and mentally scolded myself for not keeping my mouth shut and assuming he's the best werewolf to roam the earth. He kept surprising me in both good ways and bad. Not that I would ever think of getting rid of him, but some subjects were so touchy with him. Rightfully so I guess. If communication is the only thing I have to worry about with a werewolf, that is three times the size of me, I'd say I got pretty lucky.

I moved my legs up onto the bed and attempted to get comfortable. I knew that no matter how comfortable my body was I was bound to have some type of nightmare and I was absolutely right.

This one wasn't as bad as the last one. I hoped that the pattern of nightmares lessened until I no longer had any left. This one I was in the same position as before, chained up in the abandoned basement. The darkness once again swallowed me, but instead of a raging pain, my body was filled with anxiety. A rush of nervousness that something or someone was in that darkness stalking me, watching me slowly go mad. The anxiety rose to a point where the only thing I could hear was the rash beating of my heart and the pathetic sound of my lungs trying to suck in air. My desperate struggles to grab onto something to turn on the light. 

My eyes shot open, my eyes scanning the ceiling above me. I pushed myself into a sitting position and ran my hand over my forehead, wiping off the sweat that had gathered there. I placed my head in my hands and dug my fingernails into my scalp.

I wanted to scream. I was tired of this psychological claim that Kate had on me. Tired of this nervousness, this insomnia, this constant overwhelming feeling that Kate was one step, two steps ahead of me and Derek.

I could feel the stinging warning in my eyes that told me I was about to give in. Told me that my confident wall was about to crack and crumble into tiny pieces. I was going to let it happen, in fact I was going to take a sledgehammer to that wall. I was going to, until I heard the deep intake of breath from across the room. I froze and dropped my hands from my head. I looked up.

Derek was sleeping peacefully in my computer chair. His feet was up on the desk, crossed at the ankles, his hands were tucked into his jacket pockets and his head was tipped back. His eyes were shut, the worried or stressed muscles in his face were relaxed. He was breathing deeply, his lips parting slightly revealing the tips of his two front teeth. His chest rose steadily, his breathing slow and even. He made the most uncomfortable position look so comfortable.

He looked so peaceful and carefree, that in that moment I forgot what my nightmare was about. I forgot about all of the stress that was weighing me down. I forgot about all of it and laid back down, a slight smile playing at my lips.

I fell asleep almost instantly, no problems with nightmares. I would like to say that it's from the slow recovery that I had made, but somewhere inside of me knew that it was because Derek was there. It made me feel nauseated, sick that I was exactly like everyone else. I treated Derek correctly, yes, but I used him for safety. His presence around comforted me in a way that almost made me feel as if I was using him. Pulling him in with my promise of shelter and food, but also using him for a personal bodyguard. 

I pushed this to the very back of my mind, forcing myself to forget about any of those thoughts. As long as Derek was safe and comfortable, I wasn't anything like them.

That next day was completely normal, and that simplicity was beautiful. Derek and I shared short small talk that had to do with absolutely nothing relevant. The full day passed quickly, with no tension at all. Derek seemed to loosen up after that night passed, the whole full moon question seemed to be dropped completely from his mind.

That night I had not expected to have any nightmares, or at least only a really brief one. I was wrong in every aspect.


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Just when Stiles thought the nightmares were gone, they come back with a powerful vengeance.

_ I was in my wheelchair in some kind of room. The gray stone wall around me seemed vaguely familiar. I rolled forward slightly and froze. The intense smell of blood filled my nostrils. I scanned the room uneasily. The far wall was shrouded in darkness, permitting me to see anything there. Before I could over think anything a spotlight turned on, lighting up the far wall. I gasped, my eyes scanning over the scene before me. _

_ On the far wall there was three people strung up by their wrists. Their bloody hands were chained and shackled above their heads. The first two I recognized from the article I had read about the Hale's. Two girls that were separated by one guy. _

_ The first girl girl a little older than the other one, although that could have been due to the the dirt that was caked on her face. Her hair was jet black and scattered across her head. She was breathing heavily, but her eyes were focused on the girl hanging at the end. _

_ Next to her was a man that was a lot older than both of them. He hung his head, his dark brown hair cascading over his downcast eyes. His body was limp against the chains, but his hands were curled into thick fists. A low growl was rolling from his chest, as if the the fire had yet to be extinguished inside him. _

_ The last girl was the complete opposite. It seemed as if she had been broken down, the fire long gone from her eyes. She seemed fragile, a frail child being punished and abused. Her dark hair covered most of her small face, but what I could see was shockingly childlike. She seemed very young, her innocent eyes filling with tears before dropping to the floor. Her small body shook with silent hysterical cries. _

_ I started to roll forward. I had to help these people no matter what. I told that to myself, repeated it in my mind, but the sound of someone screaming my name made me stop. I knew that voice, I could recognize the rough edge to it. What I didn't recognize was the underlying fear that was laced in his scream. _

_ I stared at the people in front of me. I needed to help them, I had to, but I couldn't ignore the cries of help from Derek. I bit my tongue and forced myself to turn. I ignored the stinging in my eyes, I ignored the block of ice in my throat, I ignored the silent cries of the young girl. I only focused on Derek's cries. I followed the panicked screams for my help, gripping my wheels and forcing the wheelchair forward. I made it out of the room and into the dim hallway, my eyes searching for Derek. I followed the hallway and made my way to the door at the end of the hallway. I slowed to a stop and  leaned forward. I gripped onto the rusty handle, the cold material feeling like ice in my hand. Breathing deeply, I turned the handle and pushed the door open. An instant chill curled up my arms and traveled the length of my body. _

_ The room was pitch black, the darkness seeming as though it was a living being. Breathing inward and drawing back, revealing a concrete floor. The darkness slowly receded to reveal a body lying on the floor, face up. _

_ “D...Derek?” I asked , leaning forward slightly in my wheelchair. I could feel the involuntary intake of breath as I stared at the body lying before me. _

_ Upon hearing my voice, Derek turned his head toward me, his eyes connecting with mine. He opened his mouth to say something, but all that came out was a garbled cough. Blood spurted from his mouth and trickled down his cheek. _

_ I inhaled and sharp breath and rushed forward. Before I was able to reach him I felt my wheelchair stop abruptly as if someone had grabbed my wheel. I gasped as my body was thrown forward out of my chair. My chest slammed against the floor, knocking the breath out of me. My chest heaved as I regained oxygen to my lungs. I pressed my hands against the cold concrete and lifted my head up off the ground. My eyes connected with Derek's dull eyes. _

_ His head was turned toward me, his eyelids flickering open before closing once more. His breathing was labored, blocked by the blood that ran over his trembling lips. His face was pale, sweat gathering on his forehead. He lifted his arm and reached out toward me, his arm falling to the floor limply. He tried to say something once more, but all that I heard was a gurgled mumble. _

_ My brain finally kicked into action. I knew that I wouldn't be able to fully stand up unless I wanted to re break my healing leg. So instead I pushed my upper body off the ground and attempted to crawl towards Derek. I tried to move my legs, but my right one wouldn't budge at all. I looked down and examined my immobile leg. _

_ A thick chain was locked around my cast, preventing me from going anywhere. I reached down and wrapped my hands around the chains. I yanked on them, but they only jingled in return. “Come on,” I grumbled and turned slightly. Gripping the chains, I tugged roughly, the chains clinking together. I cried out, continuously and desperately tugging on my restraints. The chains dug into my palms, but the pain seemed to disappear. It didn't matter at that moment. After one last hard tug I gave up trying to release my foot. I turned back towards Derek, my eyes searching his face. _

_ He was getting worse, his pale body shivering against the hard cool floor. His lips parted and he was finally able to mumbled something comprehensible. My name escaped his lips as a whisper. As if the rest of his oxygen had been sucked from his body. _

_ I reached my hand out and grabbed his. I wrapped my fingers around his hand and tugged on his arm, attempting to pull his body closer to me. _

_ His body barely moved, and what movement it had instantly sent pain across his face. _

_ I felt completely and utterly helpless. I couldn't save myself, but even worse I couldn't save Derek. The one person that I had took in in order to keep him safe. I was trapped, once again, by the pain that Kate had inflicted upon me. _

_ I let my hand travel up Derek's arm and gripped onto bicep, pulling and pushing myself closer to him. My leg strained, the chain pulling on my cast, as I moved closer to Derek's body. I used my good leg to propel me forward until I was able to reach his face. My leg was on fire, but I ignored the pain and allowed my eyes to take in Derek's face. _

_ He wrapped his arm around mine and dug his fingers into my bicep. He turned his head away from me, his whole body straining. He gripped onto my arm, his body retching as he coughed up blood. He collapsed back onto the ground, his eyes finding mine once more. _

_ “Derek?” I whined, worry wrapping around my voice. _

_ The red blood that was running from his mouth stopped, instead replaced by a black liquid that seeped out of the corners of his lips. _

_ I gripped onto the sides of his face, my fingers drumming against his skin. “Hey. Hey look at me,” I stammered , my words coming out low and shaky. _

_ Derek's eyes stayed on me, but they flickered slightly in time with his rapid breaths.  _

_ My eyes frantically scanned Derek's pale face. “No. No, hey Derek. Keep your eyes on me.” _

_ He took a few rough breaths before his eyes strayed from my face, his movements stilling. His arm fell limply from my bicep, his hand hit the floor.  _

_ At that moment I had stopped breathing, my body trying to mimic Derek's. The last thing I saw was Derek's pale lifeless eyes. _

I sat up abruptly, my chest heaving and my face drenched in sweat. My eyes frantically searched the room, but there was no one in there. Derek was nowhere to be found. I was safe in my bed, but the mental image of his lifeless body kept appearing in my mind. It was all I could see. His last breath was all I could hear. I knew that it was a dream, but in that moment I truly felt like I had lost Derek. I attempted to calm myself down.

I tried to breathe, but I inhaled a short raspy breath. I gasped, trying to fill air into my lungs. I scrambled backwards, my back slamming against the headboard as I held my chest, my hand curling into my shirt roughly. I squeezed my eyes shut as I dug my other hand into my sheets. My chest cramped, fire lapping at my lungs from the lack of oxygen. Tears streamed down my face. Whether that was from the pain or not I wasn't sure. A noise between a sob and a cough escaped my lips as I kicked my legs frantically. The trembling started with my hands and moved further, until my whole body was shaking.

I heard my bedroom door open roughly, but my vision was blurry and I couldn't focus on anything. Someone was frantically calling my name, but I couldn't seem to focus. My head pounded, sharp needles shooting up my temples.

“Stiles, hey look at me.”

I pried my eyes open and forced myself to turn toward the voice. Derek's voice. I was able to make out the general silhouette of him. I gasped in a short breath before I felt something pull my hand away from my chest. I gripped onto the hand that had grabbed mine. 

“Stiles look at my eyes,” Derek's voice rang in my ears. “What color are they?”

I looked up at him. “What?” I gasped out, my voice wheezing, my eyes flickering shut a few times before I refocused on his face.

“What color are my eyes?”

My vision cleared enough that I could focus on his eyes. I stared into them, examining the color. “They're...I don't,” I stammered, my eyes straying from his face.

He gripped onto my hand and leaned back into my view. “Stiles focus. What color are my eyes?”

I looked back into his eyes. “They're green,” one breath. “More like hazel,” another breath. “In the light they have...golden flecks,” by the third breath I was able to slowly start controlling my breathing.

“There,” Derek mumbled, his voice low and careful.

I breathed deeply before I spoke. “How’d you do that?”

He released my hand and stood up away from me, before he spoke. He seemed to hesitate slightly before the words finally flowed. “My little sister used to have panic attacks after we were taken from Lindy.”

I inhaled a slow breath before I looked up at him.

He was still in his pajamas, his hair disheveled. He seemed like he was too tired to care that he just shared a very personal memory with me.

“Thank you,” I breathed, my hand running nervously through my hair. 

“No problem,” he mumbled and started to turn to walk out the door.

“Hey Derek?”

He stalled and glanced over his shoulder at me.

“So I was just thinking that this bed is really big. I don't even know why I got it this big. I guess at the time it seemed like a good idea. Anyway I guess I just wanted to, ya know, put this offer on the table. I was going to ask you to see if you could...if you would stay in here? Of course there's the chair, but that might hurt you back. I guess you could just say no and sleep in your own-”

“Sure,” Derek stated, cutting off my panicky rambling.

I opened my mouth to say something snarky, but I decided against it and instead scooted over in the bed. I made sure Derek had a large part of the bed and his own pillow and blanket.

He walked over and sat on the edge. Inhaling a deep breath, he laid down next to me face up. “Are you going to be able to go back to sleep?” he questioned and glanced over at me.

“Yeah-” I started before I had actually thought about it. The thought of a nightmare like that plaguing me again made me want to seek comfort in the bright light of my laptop. “Hopefully,” I mumbled and laid back against the pillow. 

Derek nodded slowly, his eyes scanning me for a second before he rolled over away from me.

I inhaled a slow breath before I turned and faced the wall. I pulled my blanket up close to my face, letting the familiar scent calm me.

I didn't sleep much that night, but I tried to keep still to keep Derek from waking up. When I didn't sleep I could Derek's deep breaths as he slept. I was awake when Derek got out of bed the next morning.

“Good morning Stiles,” he mumbled as he opened the door and started to walk out the room.

I yawned and sat up, my body still needing sleep, but my mind permitting it from having it. It was a rough cycle and I was feeling all of it. I rubbed my palm roughly against my face, trying to rub off the exhaustion. I pushed myself off the bed and stood up on my good leg. I was able to hobble over to my chair on the other side of the bed without tripping over articles of clothing. 

Derek walked in after that, his pajamas a thing of the past. He helped me down the stairs once more and into the kitchen. His eyes seemed to linger on my face a few seconds longer, with the worried expression on his face that he sometimes got. 

During dinner I was pushing my food around on my plate, contemplating on if I wanted to out this offer out there. I glanced up at Derek before I spoke. “So I have a doctors appointment tomorrow to get this sucker checked out,” I stated, nodding down to my leg. “You're welcome to come if you'd like. You could stay home as well,” I stated and popped a bite into my mouth.

Derek nodded slowly before he spoke. “Yeah I'll go.”

That night was pretty much the same as the one before. Derek had started to leave, but instead he hesitated and asked if I wanted him to stay. I told him yes, but only if he wanted to. Without another word he proceeded to join me. I didn't sleep at all, even with Derek beside me. I could hear his slow deep breaths as he slept. That was the only thing that kept me from fidgeting and moving, the possibility of waking Derek up. So I stared at the backs of my eyelids, trying to avoid thinking about the reason why I couldn't sleep. 

Halfway through the night I had practically given up on sleeping, but I had a serious daydreaming well...night dreaming streak going. I jumped when I heard something scratch against my window. My eyes shot open and I glanced over at the pane on the wall. There was a dark shadow lingering on the other side of the glass. I gripped onto the comforter and inhaled a deep breath. Another nightmare, it had to be. I must've fallen asleep without knowing it.

The window shook slightly, as if someone was attempting to pull it open.

I held onto the dream thought, but as I heard Derek stir I knew that I was wrong.


	12. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> False Alarm?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am so sorry for the long wait! Of course I had to go and lose my laptop charger -.-

There was something or someone trying to get through my window, I was sure of it.

Derek turned abruptly in the bed and wrapped his arm over my torso. He pulled me into his chest, a low growl rumbling from his throat.

I kept my eyes on the window as it was yanked open, wind blowing the curtains out of the way. The intruder leaped into the window, landing on the floor gracefully. 

Derek released me and scooted back before he turned on the light beside him.

I stared at the intruder, but they weren't any threat at all.

“Scott what the hell are you doing sneaking into my house?” I questioned, anger brushing over the fear I had just had.

Scott stood in front of the window, his innocent eyes darting from me to Derek. “Did I interrupt anything?”

Derek had stood up abruptly, standing in the middle of the room awkwardly.

“Yes my peaceful sleep,” I mumbled and sat up. Yep, I was totally sleeping. No nightmares here, I am perfectly fine. 

Scott nodded. “Sorry I just wanted to apologize for Allison's-”

I waved my hand in the air. “Yeah I know. It's okay,” I mumbled and turned, swinging my legs out of the bed.

Scott's eyebrows drew together as he eyed my cast. “Stiles?”

Derek seemed relieved to have a task that he could complete. He grabbed my wheelchair from the corner of the room and rolled it over to me. He held it steady as I lifted myself off the bed and hopped over to it. I plopped down into the chair and turned towards Scott. 

He stared at me, his gaze traveling between the cast to my face. “Stiles what happened?”

Derek hovered by my side, his hand staying on the handle of my wheelchair. 

I looked down at my hands. “Kate happened.”

Scott sighed. “I'm so sorry I didn't mean for any of this to happen. I just...”

I shook my head and looked back up at him. “This isn't anyone's fault,” I mumbled slowly. 

He shifted uncomfortably from foot to foot before he spoke. “Are you doing okay?”

“Yeah I'm alright,” I mumbled, running a hand through my hair. I could tell he saw right through my lies. I tugged nervously on my hair, my eyes trailing down to the ground.

A lie. A horribly sculpted lie that I lived day in and day out. I kept it hidden from everyone. I muttered reassurances to Scott, while pulling nervously at my hair. I muttered reassurances to my father, while I stared blankly at the cast that hid my leg. I muttered reassurances to Derek, while I was not sleeping in the hopes to avoid another nightmare. I wouldn't even let myself be restless, instead I stayed still hoping that Derek wouldn't notice. But of course he noticed. It doesn't take a supernatural creature to see the ways my hands tremble constantly, or the deep purple bags that were plastered under my eyes, or the distant look I got just before it was time to go to bed.

Maybe Derek was right, maybe I was attempting to put on a vigilante facade. It certainly didn't feel like it though. Although how would I know? I was lying to everyone else, it wouldn't be that hard to lie to myself. Of course I didn't think about that though as the lie rolled from my lips. My heart spiking, maybe not audible to me, but heard by both werewolves in the room.

Scott seemed to take this as a sufficient response. I wish I could say that I knew exactly why he nodded slowly and changed the subject, but to be perfectly honest I don't. Most of the time I didn't know what my own actions meant. He probably didn't either as he simply said that he would help us. Whether that is a fight or just simply there for moral support, I have no idea. 

He didn't elaborate as he turned and jumped out the window, shutting it behind him.

Derek stayed motionless for a few seconds before he stepped in front of me.

I sighed and started rolling myself over to my dresser. “We might as well get ready. My dad will be over soon and by soon I mean an hour before he said he would be here. Probably with a handful of greasy fast food breakfast,” I mumbled as I rummaged through my clothes.

Derek nodded and continued out the door to get ready. 

I was on point about my father. He should up super early and expected us to all sit down together eating the fast food as if it was a four course meal. Not that I complained at all, but a son still looks after his father's health no matter how old he gets. 

After we ate we gathered in the car and made our way to the doctors office. I would've preferred that my father hadn't came at all, but since I couldn't drive with my cast and Derek couldn't drive because he was a werewolf, my dad was the only one that could drive us. 

I was actually really nervous about what would be said. I couldn't stay off my foot forever, especially with everything else going on. I was hoping that I would be able to actually walk soon because if Kate decided to attack I would be screwed.

When we actually got there we didn't have to wait long to be called back. My father decided to stay in the waiting room and allow me a little space.

Derek stalled slightly, his eyes darting nervously from me to where my father was sitting. With his his hands hooked behind his back, his eyes met mine.

I held his gaze as I followed the nurse toward the door. There seemed to be an unspoken question from me to him.

He answered as he followed behind me, his eyes falling to the ground. He ducked his head low and slumped his shoulders, just as he was supposed to as he followed obediently behind me.

I rolled my wheelchair behind the nurse and followed her into a small room. It wasn't as bad as I had expected it to be. The doctor came in and checked my vitals. Everything was normal except he recommended that I try to avoid stress. I almost laughed, but I contained it for the sake of more questions. He then tested the movement of my leg.

Derek seemed on edge the whole time, but he stayed still as he was supposed to. He stayed standing, his eyes focused on the floor.

The doctor, who had requested I just call him Steph, grabbed his clipboard and turned towards me. His eyes darted over to Derek's silent form, before he returned to me. “Alright Mr. Stilinski. You have recovered quite nicely, it seems you've avoided using your injured leg at all costs. Luckily you've recovered so quickly that we can go ahead and take off this large cast. We're going to fit you with a boot that will basically continue holding your leg in place. You will be able to put weight on your leg, of course not all the time. We typically recommend that patients return for physical therapy, but at home therapy could also be worked out. I'll let you think about that while I go and prepare your fitting,” he mumbled before walking out.

I nodded slowly and sighed.

Derek waited for the door to close firmly before he lifted his head. “Are you going to come back for therapy?”

I sighed and ran my hands along my face. “I probably should, but with everything going on there's no way I would be able to. So no.”

Derek nodded slowly and opened his mouth as if he was going to say something. Instead he tensed and lowered his head once more. 

The doctor returned and requested that I follow him alone so they could remove my cast. I didn't want to leave Derek alone in there, but I knew the faster this was done the faster we could leave and return home. I reluctantly followed the doctor, it didn't take very long at all. I didn't look at my leg when he pulled the cast off, I couldn't. I could feel him wrapping the bandage around it. It hurt, but only slightly, as the bandages pressed against the bruise that must of been there.

After that and some paper work we were able to leave. I used the walk to the car as a test of my leg. The first few steps sent pain throughout my leg, but I was able to regain myself and push forward. I inhaled a deep breath as I limped forward, the boot feeling extremely heavy. Although I was doing just fine, Derek and my father still lingered directly behind me. Their hands  shooting out to help me when I winced or grunted. I didn't mind though.

We made it home fine and after I insisted that I would be okay my father left. The rest of the day was actually relaxing. I used any excuse I could to get up and use my leg, although Derek stressed that I still needed to be careful. 

That night Derek didn't hesitate or ask anything, he just simply joined me in the large bed.

I can say that I slept better that night. Not as well as I used to, but I was able to get a few hours of sleep without nightmares.

I had assumed that Kate had backed down slightly or, at least, enough that she wouldn't do anything in public. I guess I was almost right, she didn't exactly publicly attack us, but it was enough to get both me and Derek on edge.

We had went to the store to pick up a few necessities. Derek had drove, with his leather jacket collar raised up over the collar locked around his throat. We parked in the back so no suspicion would be raised if a werewolf stepped out of the drivers seat.

Derek fixed his jacket back to normal before he helped me out the side.

We got the needed things and made it to the register, without a problem. Me, limping slightly as I walked from foot to boot, and Derek, walking behind me with his head down. 

My attention was elsewhere, but I didn't miss the way Derek gripped onto my side. He stepped forward, his head still down, his lips close to my ear, “She's here,” he whispered.

To any bystander this was nothing, a movement that was barely seen.

I glanced over my shoulder at Derek.

He was tense, his muscles clenching as he stood protectively behind me. His head stayed down, but his eyes flicked from me to the other side of the grocery store. His hand remained on my side, a protective grip that held me in place.

I glanced around, my eyes finding Kate standing near one of the aisle, her arms crossed. She stared at both me and Derek, her eyes narrowing.

I paid the cashier quickly before I felt Derek nudge my side forward.

“We gotta go,” he mumbled, grabbing the bags for me.

I limped forward as fast as I could manage without raising suspicion or falling flat on my face.

Derek followed directly behind me, closer than normal, his body looming over me.

We were able to make it out of there without any problems. I kept glancing behind us, making sure that she wasn't following us behind the store. We got into the Jeep and rushed out of the parking lot.

My one mistake was assuming that we were in the clear. Assuming that we had outsmarted Kate and won this time. We were ahead of her, one mark on the tally board for us. Of course I didn't think that she had did this on purpose, to create a diversion so we wouldn't think about what was actually happening in that moment.


	13. Chapter 13

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It is so hard to find positives in a world full of negatives.

We pulled up to the house, but my eyes were on my phone as I finished sending a text to my father explaining what had happened. I looked up, stilling as my eyes took in the house.

Papers, that were incoherent from where I sat, were taped on all of the first floor windows. They covered the lighthouse, darkening it's welcoming glow. There's no place like home, they say. Except that home has been tarnished and trashed. I knew it was Kate. I'm sure everyone had their hatred against me, but Kate was the only one willing to test my power as deputy. Although my foot was contained to this boot, I was not at all weak. At least I thought I wasn't, but as I stepped out of the Jeep I felt a lot smaller. I shut the door and limped around the front of the Jeep to see the full damage my house had taken.

The yard was littered with papers, just like the house was. 

I could feel Derek walk up behind me as I bent down and picked up a handful of one of the papers. I looked down at the first paper on the stack. They were articles, the name of it sprawled across the top in crude red letters. I flipped through the papers, reading the headings out loud at the same time. “Mongrel boy toy...lynch the lycan lover...werewolf fucker,” I mumbled out before I threw the papers on the ground. I shut my eyes for a brief second as I inhaled a deep breath, forcing myself to calm down. 

I knew that this was what people were saying about me, yet somehow it made it seem much more real when it was printed in bold letters right in front of me. A lot of people say they would rather have people tell them straight to their face. Honestly it's easier when the rumors or derogatory statements are spread indoors. It's easier to brush off, easier to forget, and most of all easier to ignore. Ignoring the thought of rumors passing was the way I was able to continue on and prove those rumors wrong. How was I supposed to go out and prove they were wrong, when I could barely get up up without help?

Derek stepped in front of me and crouched down. Without a word he began separating the papers into two piles. He paused for a second, glancing over his shoulder at me. “Do you want to help?”

I studied him for a second, his relaxed stance as he held a few articles in his hand.

He held his hand free hand up to me.

I used his help to lower myself onto the ground, my injured leg outstretched.

Once I was stable he let go of me and returned to separating the papers. “I'm separating these papers into two piles. This one were going to shred and this one were going to burn,” he mumbled pointing from one pile to the other.

“Burn?”

He nodded slowly. “Yes burn,” he mumbled before he handed me a pile to sort through. He stood up and walked over to the windows, grabbing the papers as he walked by. He returned and began sorting through the papers he had collected. 

He wasn't lying. After we had sorted through all the papers and put them into two piles, Derek helped me up and took one of the piles inside. We shredded this pile with the paper shredder. He then told me to meet him out back.

So I hobbled outside, my leg uneven with the ground. When I reached the middle of the yard Derek walked up beside me and placed the second pile on the ground.

He then helped me to the ground before he turned and walked back inside the house. He returned with a handful of tree branches and a match. He placed the logs on the ground and started the fire, starting with a small ember that flickered. He then sat beside me, on the opposite side of the pile of papers. “Go ahead,” he spoke, his face lighting up in the light of the fire. 

It was dark out now, the only light provided was the flickering of the fire and the bright glow of the full moon above us. 

I reached over and grabbed a small handful of the paper. I hesitated for a slight second, my eyes lingering on the red letters a few seconds before I threw the papers into the flame. The fire consumed the paper, turning the red letters that read 'hypocrite' into gray ash. I couldn't hide the relief that flowed through me as I watched each paper burn.

Derek scooted closer to me and reached over me, grabbed a small stack for himself. He ripped the papers in half before he threw more into the fire.

By the time the stack was gone, we had a large fire that crackled and spat in front of us. 

I lifted my left leg up close to my chest as I gazed into the mixing colors of the fire. The orange that blending into yellow, moving and cackling as if it was happy to take on my burden. Happy to eat and devour the words that tempted to devour my courage.

Derek interrupted my thought as he looked over at me and spoke. “They're not true. You know that right?” 

I nodded slowly, my eyes still on the fire. “Yeah.”

“Then what's with all the anxiety?”

I glanced over at him. “Anxiety?”

He nodded. “Werewolf senses,” he mumbled, his eyes observing me.

“You can pick up on that?” 

He bobbed his head slowly. “The chemo signals yes. And there's a lot radiating from you,” he spoke, his words careful. 

I looked back at the fire, sighing deeply. “Oh...I don't know. I guess I just have this overwhelming feeling that we're right where she wants us,” I mumbled, my eyes narrowing at nothing particular.

He nodded before his eyes returned to the fire as well.

We sat in silence for a while. Neither of us saying anything, but the quiet air filled with the cackling of the fire and the nearby sounds of animals.

I glanced over at Derek.

He was no longer looking at the fire, instead he was looking up directly at the full moon. His eyes seemed transfixed on the large sphere in the sky. His shoulders were relaxed, his knees pulled up as he gazed into the sky.

“Can you feel the difference?”

His eyes stayed on the moon. “Yeah...everything is stronger. The urge to be free is worse. Heightened senses...I can sense things I normally wouldn't be able to,” he mumbled and glanced over at me. His eyes examined my face carefully, his eyebrows drawing together. He didn't look angry though, he looked confused. He turned slightly, facing me, before he lifted his arm. His hand hesitated slightly, his fingers inches away from my face.

I froze, my eyes staying on him. Watching as he eyed his own hand.

His fingers grazed against my cheek, light and careful, as if he was afraid he'd scare me away. “All of my senses are much more stronger,” he whispered, his eyes staying on his own fingers as he stroked the side of my cheek. 

I stayed still, watching Derek's confused face. 

His hand landed on my face, his thumb tracing along my cheek. His eyes slowly trailed up to mine, connecting with my gaze. His eyes were bright, the glow of the fire flickered in the light of his eyes. His confusion seemed to fade as he leaned in closer to me, his eyes shutting.

I met him halfway, leaning into his lips. 

His hand held me in place as his soft lips met mine. He was relaxed, his lips moving easily against mine.

It didn't feel rushed or wrong. It felt simple and easy. His lips sending warmth throughout my body, shocking my nerves and forcing me to crave more. His stubble brushed against my skin, a slight burn that sent shivers through my muscles. His scent rushed onto me, curling me into it's warm forest scent. I hadn't even realized that my hand had moved up to grasp the fabric of his shirt.

He pulled back, his lips remaining inches from mine, his breaths heavy and quick.

I opened my eyes and watched his eyes flicker open.

His features seemed soft and oddly childlike. His thumb stroked my cheek once more before he dropped his hand, his eyes still lingering on mine. He dropped his head, a smirk playing on his lips. 

I smiled and finally tore my eyes away from him. The fire in front of us had died down, only leaving the glow of the moon to light the night.

Derek inhaled a breath of relief and stood up before he reached his hand out to me.

I grabbed his hand and allowed him to pull my body up off the ground.

We both walked inside and ate a simple dinner. We didn't really talk about what had happened, but I knew he acknowledged it. He was closer to me than normal, his eyes lingering on me more and his touch becoming more frequent. It was nice, in a way I couldn't particularly describe.

That nice was the same as before, although I noticed that Derek laid closer to me than normal. Our awkward barrier finally broken.

When I woke up Derek was already up and downstairs. I wasn't downstairs for two seconds before he ordered me to go change into my bathing suit. After a slight hesitation and questioning I finally caved and went back upstairs. When I returned Derek was changed also, with a backpack slung over his back.

He lead the way into the backyard and into the forest line, his steps slow allowing me to keep up with him.

“So where are we going? I really don't want to re break my leg,” I whined as I lifted my boot over a large log I had almost tripped over. 

Derek smiled and gripped onto my arm, his warm fingers wrapping around my wrist. He held my wrist steady, guiding me over the unstable terrain. “Actually were going to help it heal faster,” he spoke, his eyes scanning the ground for possible obstacles.

We walked for felt like forever, but that might be due to the heavy pull of my boot every time I lifted it or the occasional shoot of pain up my leg, when I stepped on a stick or uneven rock.

Derek finally stopped, his hand releasing my wrist as he stepped to the side.

I stopped and looked up, my feet finally stable on the ground. 

In front of me was a small pond surrounded by a circle of trees. The shade of the trees, blocked the sun from reaching the pond. The water was crystal clear allowing me to see all the way to the bottom. Rocks littered the bank of the pond separating the sand from the grass.

I smiled. “A pond?”

Derek nodded slowly, his eyes trailing over the water. “I used to come here when I was little,” he mumbled before he walked over to a large rock. He sat down and took off his shoes. He placed them to the side before he patted the rock beside him.

I sauntered over and sat next to him. “Water therapy?”

Derek nodded in response, his hands hesitated over his shirt before he huffed a breath and tucked it in his shorts. His gaze shifted to me before he looked down at my boot. “Do you want me to...?” he mumbled, his half question lingering in the air.

I inhaled a deep breath. “Um..yeah. I can't really reach...”

Derek stood and crouched down in front of me. He pulled the tabs off the Velcro and loosened the straps. He then removed the boot itself and placed it to the side. His fingers were careful and stable as he found the top of the bandages.

I released a breath I didn't realize I was holding. I wasn't sure if I was ready to see this, the intense damage made by Kate. A reminder of how weak I was as Kate slammed her foot down and how weak I was as Derek's fingers pulled the wrap off. 

I shut my eyes, sucking air through my mouth carefully. I could feel Derek pulling off the bandage. About halfway through a throbbing pain pulsated through the top of my leg. I winced and bit my lip, anything to keep from showing the pain I was feeling. I could feel Derek peel off the last remaining row of the bandage, his hand holding my ankle steady. I kept my eyes closed, but my curiosity peaked as Derek's hand pressed against the side of my leg. His thumb stroked over the top of my shin, the pain slowly decreasing.

I opened my eyes, my gaze lowering down to Derek.

His head was lowered, his eyes squeezed shut as he winced through some kind of pain. That's when I realized what he was doing. His thumb gently rubbed over my bruised skin as veins, the color of my bruise, curled up his arm. He was taking away my pain, sucking out each and every pulsating throb and transferring it to himself. I inhaled a deep breath, my leg feeling light and healthy, despite the hideous black and purple bruise that laid upon my leg.

Derek opened his eyes, his breathing slowing as he carefully placed my foot on the ground. He helped me to my feet, making sure I didn't put too much weight on my leg. 

I worked my way over to the pond, hopping slightly on my left leg. I made my way into the pond, the warm crystal liquid flowing around me.

Derek stepped in after me and swam to the middle of the pond, his arms moving gracefully in the water. He slowed to a stop and reached his hand out to me.

I grabbed it and slowly pushed myself off the bank of the pond. I used my left leg mostly, allowing my right one to move slightly.

Derek nodded and watched me carefully. “Alright hold onto my arm and kick your legs, when you get tired use my arm to keep you up,” he instructed me.

I nodded slowly and wrapped my fingers around his forearm. I kicked both of my legs, keeping my body from submerging. 

Derek nodded slowly, a small smile forming on his lips.

I pushed myself, forcing myself to concentrate. I could feel a slight pressure in my leg, but other than that I was able to keep myself afloat for a while. After a few minutes I stopped kicking and used Derek's arm to keep above the water. 

“Are you ready to head home?”

I nodded. “Yeah, I'm hungry.”

“Of course you are.”

I grinned before we made our way out of the pond. Derek helped me put my bandage and boot back on. We then made our way back to the house, using the towels Derek had brought to dry ourselves. 


	14. Chapter 14

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Waiting for the inevitable.

We made it back fairly quickly and Derek walked into his room to change and I walked into mine to change and order pizza. I did it quickly from my phone before I slipped on something more comfortable. I yawned before walked out the door to my room and stepping into Derek's room. “Hey I ordered che-” I looked up, freezing slightly.  
Derek was on the other side of the room, just barely slipping his shirt over his torso. Before he could yank it down quickly I saw something black between his shoulder blades.  
I stepped forward slightly. “There's something on your back.”  
Derek stilled, his body freezing. His hands dug into the wood on his dresser as his back tensed, his eyes never looking at me.  
I stayed quiet for a few seconds until the silence got too intense. “What is it?”  
He didn't say a word as he leaned closer to the dresser, his body starting to curl into itself. He ducked his head low, his breathing short and quick.   
I panicked, trying to keep my heart from jumping out of my chest. I was able to bring the real Derek out of his shell and now he was crawling right back in. I stepped forward, immediately regretting it when he flinched. “Derek...you can show me,” I assured him, my voice low.  
He turned, his eyes never leaving the ground. Without a word he sat down on the edge of the bed and grabbed the ends of his shirt. He pulled it up over his head, but kept the fabric on his arms.  
I walked over slowly, observing him, before I rounded the back of him.   
The tattoo was a black triskelion. The triangle was centered between his shoulder blades and the ends swirled out onto his back.  
I sat down behind him and crossed my legs under me. I studied him.  
Derek back was tense, his muscles clenching. His breathing was short and quick as he stared down at his hands.   
I rose my hand, hesitating for a slight second before I let my fingers touch his back. I placed my hand flat in the middle of the symbol. “It's a triskelion...what does it mean for you?”  
Derek rose his head and glanced at me over his shoulder, confusion filling his face. His anxiety seemed to ease as he slowed his breathing. He looked away, his eyes locking on something in front of him. “I got it when we lived with Lindy. My mother wanted all of us to get something that reminded us how the pack used to be...how it's supposed to be.”  
I nodded slowly and touched each swirl with my fingers. “Alpha, beta, and omega,” I mumbled.  
Derek nodded before he looked down at his hands. “We all got them, but werewolves aren't supposed to have tattoos. It's a permanent mark that brings the price down on us. Not only that, but our tattoo's symbolized how the world used to be before all this. Lindy didn't care, but I...some other people didn't agree,” he mumbled, a shiver running through his body.   
I placed my hand flat against the tattoo, my palm pressing against the black ink. I could feel the heat from Derek's back radiating, warming my skin up.  
Derek seemed to relax, his muscles seemed to release as he glanced over his shoulder at me.  
I inhaled a deep breath before I pulled my hand back, my eyes lingering on the symbol sprawled on his back. “I'm going to go get the pizza,” I stated and pushed myself off the bed. I wanted to stay in there with him, I wanted to talk to him, I wanted to feel his warmth again. Instead I forced my eyes away from his position at the edge of the bed and walked out of the room.  
Derek came downstairs not long after I did and the pizza came shortly after that. We sat side by side munching on the cheesy pizza, trying to avoid getting it all over the place. I tapped my knee against Derek's leg in time to the background score to the movie we were watching. We didn't really say anything, just simply sat in each others company.  
It was late by the time the movie credits started rolling it was dark, the lights on the street shining in through the window.  
I pulled my leg out from under me and stretched, a yawn escaping from me. I shuffled down in the couch and looked up at Derek. “You ready for bed?”  
Derek looked down at me, a slight smirk rising onto his face. “Yeah,” he mumbled before he ran a hand across his face.   
I pushed myself up off the couch and made my way upstairs, with Derek following behind me. I only tripped twice on the way to my room. I thought I would be able to sleep that night without any problems. I of course was wrong. I didn't have nightmares simply because I couldn't fall asleep. I tried to remain still allowing Derek the chance to sleep, but sitting still was virtually impossible. I couldn't seem to get comfortable and my leg felt ten times heavier than normal. I sighed as I once again turned away from Derek's form.  
“Are you okay?”  
I stayed silent for a few seconds before I answered his question. “Yeah...I think.”  
Derek huffed out a laugh. “You haven't stopped moving since you laid down.”  
I opened my eyes and stared at the wall in front of me. “I'm sorry...I can't get comfortable,” I mumbled, my voice low.  
Derek stayed silent for a few seconds before I heard him release a shaky breath. He turned over and scooted closer to me. “Come here,” he stated as he grabbed my arm and pulled me closer to him.   
I could feel his body press against my back just before he wrapped his arm around my torso, holding me in place. I inhaled a deep breath and wrapped my arms around his, his warmth surrounding me.   
He shuffled around slightly, getting comfortable, before he stilled. His warm breath blew out and tickled against my neck.  
I smiled and shut my eyes. “Thank you,” I whispered. I thought I heard Derek mumbled a 'you're welcome' just before I fell asleep. My sleep was peaceful that night, a deep slumber that wasn't interrupted by horrible nightmares. A sleep that refreshed my bones and filled my limbs with an energy I hadn't had in months. It pulled my thoughts from my mind as I focused on the warm body that pressed against me, taking my nightmares away and leaving an empty space that was immediately replaced with the warm werewolf behind me.  
It wasn't just a one time thing. Every night after that Derek would crawl in bed and scoot closer to me, wrapping is arm around me in some kind of way. Sometimes it would be just one arm draped over my stomach and other times he would wrap his arms around me, his body molded against mine as he held me in my sleep.  
I never resisted him, I never jerked away, I simply let his thick arms curl me into an embrace.   
He was careful when he held me, his hands soft and his grip easy. He was acting completely different than society said that he would. To them the only thing werewolves were good at in bed was pleasing their master, but they were wrong. They were just like everyone else and it didn't take electrocution and wolfsbane to bring that out of them. Derek cared, he felt, he held me in his arms, blocking the nightmares from entering me. I saw this, I knew this, but society viewed him as a vicious heartless mongrel and I could do nothing to change that.  
I couldn't change their views, but I could make Derek as safe and as comfortable as he could be. That started with getting rid of Kate, but how to do that I wasn't sure. Scott had offered to help, but with what happened between me and Allison I was walking on thin ice.   
So yes I was extremely surprised when Allison showed up on my doorstep.  
I glanced at Derek wearily before I tugged the door open.  
He stayed away from the line of sight, but close enough that he could intervene if necessarily.  
Allison looked up, her eyes taking in my face. She wrung her hands together as she struggled to find words. “I...Scott told me about how bad you looked,” she mumbled, her eyes once again dropping to the ground.  
I stared at her for a few seconds. “Scott told you about that?”  
Allison nodded slowly, before she threw a lock of hair behind her ear. “Can I come in?” she asked her innocent eyes meeting mine.  
I held her gaze before I stepped back and held the door open.  
She stepped in, her hands still looped in front of her. “Thank you.”  
I opened my mouth to question her, but I was interrupted by Derek stepping out from the living room.   
His eyes were narrowed at Allison's small frame as he took a step closer. “Don't thank him just yet,” he mumbled, his voice verging on a growl.  
Allison seemed to shrink further into herself, if that was even possible. “...I know what I said, but I didn't think it would get like this-”  
“Like what Allison? To the point where one of your best friend's leg is mangled. Did it take this for you to finally open your eyes to how cruel and sadistic Kate really is?” Derek growled, stepping forward. He stopped beside me, his jaw clenching as he starred Allison down. He was tense, his body practically trembling with anger.  
Derek: safe and comfortable. I stepped closer to Derek and reached down, grabbing his hand. Although we were in front of Allison, our hands were no longer in her sight.  
Derek's body seemed to relax as his fingers entwined with mine.  
Allison didn't seem to notice our decreased distance as she looked back up at Derek. “Yes it did. And I'm so sorry that it did. I...I want to fix this. I know that I can't bring back anyone or take away any memories, but what I can do is help. If you will let me I will help you with this fight against Kate.”  
I could feel Derek squeeze my hand, his eyes dropping to the ground as he inhaled a deep breath.  
I nodded slowly. “We need all the help we can get...so yeah,” I mumbled, unsure of how to ease the tension.  
Allison seemed to be the one to do it though. She bobbed her head, her eyes taking in Derek's frame before they met mine. “Me and Scott are just a call away,” she mumbled before she turned and let herself out of the house.  
Derek didn't turn towards me until the car pulled out of the driveway. He kept his hand entwined with mine as his other hand held my face in place. He pressed his lips against mine, a warmth that was gone just as fast as it had arrived. It was quick and small, but it said all it needed to. He then released me and walked up the stairs, disappearing into the second floor.  
I immediately called my dad, my boot kicked up on the table as I balanced the phone between my ear in my shoulder. I listened to the dial as I picked at the sandwich that sat on my lap.  
“Stiles? Is everything okay?”  
I swallowed the bite I had taken before I spoke. “Yeah dad, everything is fine. I just wanted to catch you up on the Stiles and Derek lifestyle,” I mumbled and ran a hand through my messy hair. “Basically Allison showed up on our doorstep and offered her help. So we have backup.”  
“That's nice to know, considering we have no idea what Kate is planning. We still have not been able to track her down. We have, though, gotten a lot of information from Mrs. Smith.”  
I nodded slowly, my mind returning to the woman I had promised to help. “I haven't had much time with her is she doing okay?”  
“Yeah she's doing well. We are working with her in a attempt to get her money back,” he mumbled.  
I nodded slowly. “That's really good...thank you dad. Alright I'm going to go I love you.”  
“Don't worry about it. I love you too Stiles. You be safe okay...and I mean both of you.”  
I smiled. “We will...I promise.”  
I promise.  
It seems like I've been promising a lot and being safe wasn't exactly a piece of cake. When someone wants your head and your werewolves head on a silver platter you tend to revel in the calm moments, however brief they might be.


	15. Chapter 15

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The beginning of the end.

Within those next few days I was able to take my boot fully off. It was a releasing feeling that I could finally move my leg freely. I couldn't overdo it, of course, but anything was better than dragging a heavy boot.

Maybe that free feeling was the reason why I overdid it. The reason why I pushed too far. I hadn't meant to, but it was something that I couldn't take back.

I stood in the middle of Derek's room, chewing anxiously at my nail. I tapped my foot, anything to keep my body moving. The stress of everything was not helping my ADHD. I had seemed to gotten it in control, or about as much that was possible. Still I stood there, my eyes flickering over Derek's frame as he paced across the room.

He held the bridge of his nose as he once again turned and paced back the opposite way.

The silence was killing me, raising my anxiety even more. I ran a hand through my hair, tugging on the ends in an attempt to calm myself. “She...she's planning something. She hasn't attacked at all and she had ample enough times. I mean my freaking leg was broke, what more opportunity does she need. She could of came and taken you and I wouldn't of been able to stand up let alone help you. But she hasn't done that...she-” I rambled out, my eyes flicking to random spots in the room avoiding Derek's stare. I didn't look up when he walked up and stopped in front of me.

“Stiles...everything will be okay,” he mumbled as he lifted his arm, his hand once again hesitating before it landed on my face.

I kept my eyes downcast as I spoke. “How do you know that?”

He sighed deeply before he spoke. “Because I know you,” he whispered, his voice low and unsure.

I looked up at that and met his gaze. It was soft and worried, the crease between his brow growing as his eyes searched mine. His words hung in the silence as his eyes stayed on mine.

I stood still, my arms hanging limply by my sides, and waited. 

He released a breath before he leaned forward and pressed his lips against mine.

I shut my eyes and kissed him back. It was slow and unsure at first, but Derek slowly became more comfortable. His hand trailed from my cheek to the back of my neck, holding me in place as he continued his kisses. 

I smiled against his lips, my hands rising and landing on his chest, my fingers drumming against his skin. I could feel his closeness, warmth lapping at my skin with every inch he touched. I didn't want to stop, I wanted him to be as close to me as possible. Maybe that's why I didn't hesitate when my hands trailed down to his waist, my hands digging into his abdomen. 

He didn't seem to mind as his hand trailed down to my lower back, pulling me closer to him.

I moved my head, trailing kisses along his jawline before I reached his neck. I nipped at the skin just above the thick collar that wrapped around his neck. I felt him tense, his muscles clenching slightly, but I didn't think much of it. My stupid normal human abilities were not able to pick up the nervousness and anxiety that must of rolled through his body.

Before I could continue, Derek yanked his arms away from me and pushed hard on my chest. A growl rose from his throat as he forced me away from him.

I stumbled backwards, my back slamming against the wall. I froze my eyes taking in Derek's stance.

He stood, his head down, breathing deeply through his nose. His fists were clenched, his whole body shuddering. He rose his head, his eyes nervously taking my body in. He ran a hand through his hair before he spoke. “I...I just,” he stammered before he walked out the room. 

I stayed against the wall, listening as Derek ran down the stairs and out the backdoor, slamming it behind him.

I didn't blame him for what happened. It was my fault. I should have been more careful, I should've paid attention, I should of let Derek lead at his own pace. I hadn't though, my stupid hormones had gotten the best of me and it might of caused Derek a complete breakdown. I had to make things right and make sure that he knew I didn't blame him for anything. 

So instead of curling into my bed and debating my life choices, I pushed myself off the wall and walked downstairs. I made both me and Derek a cup of coffee, topped with about half the can of whipped cream. 

I stumbled outside, biting my lip in concentration, as I focused on not spilling the coffee. When I made it to our spot I sat down, sitting my mug to the left of me and holding Derek's between my hands.

The sun was hiding beneath the treeline, close to disappearing for the day. The sky lit up in purple, orange, and red. The colors mixing and blending with each other. 

I was focusing on the sky when Derek emerged from the treeline. I watched him sulk up, his head ducked low and his arms locked behind his back. He wasn't Derek anymore, he was a slave waiting to be punished.

When he reached me, he rose his head and met my gaze, his eyes full of fear.

I didn't say anything, I simply rose the mug into the air towards Derek.

His eyes brightened, his body relaxing as he reached forward and took the mug from me.

I patted the ground next to me and watched as Derek slowly walked over and sat down, his legs stretched outwards. 

We didn't say anything, but Derek didn't opposed when I leaned against him, my head on his shoulder. Somehow we didn't need to say anything. We had apologized and made up with simple actions that meant the world to both of us. We sat there for a while, long after our coffee was gone, just being in each others presence. Nothing was said about what had happened, but I felt content. I just pushed too far too fast and that with time we would be able to push on. For now, sitting with my head against his shoulder was enough.

 

Everything was easy and simple. The threat of Kate hung over our heads, but we still managed to be happy. Derek seemed to be opening up more and more each day. He actually had enough courage to tell me how his mother was before what happened happened. He still wasn't comfortable telling me about what had went down after Kate had taken them, but it was a start.

My eyes flickered open, the light of the full moon blinding me for a slight second. I could feel Derek's arm wrapped around my stomach, his body tucked against mine. I smiled, wanting to stay there forever, but the intense dryness in my mouth said otherwise. I lightly lifted Derek's arm off me and slid out of bed, careful not to wake him. I grabbed my phone off the nightstand and checked it as I walked downstairs. I only tripped twice going down the stairs, which is a pretty good record if you ask me.

I made it to the fridge and threw my phone on the counter as I pulled a water bottle out of the fridge. I popped it open and took a drink.

I froze when I heard a loud bang from upstairs. I put the water down and sent a quick text to my dad. If there was someone upstairs they would hear me make a call. I slowly walked toward the stairs, pausing momentarily to grab my gun from my holster. I held the gun low and slowly made my way up the stairs. I stopped at the top of the stairs, my eyes taking in the scene before me.

Derek was being pinned against the wall, his hands restrained by a large man who was growling deeply. A dark collar was locked around his throat.

I ignored the rapid beating of my heart and rose the gun level to the wolf. I pulled the trigger and watched the bullet lodge into the wolf's arm just before I was tackled to the ground. I grunted as my back slammed against the ground in the guest room.

A female crouched over me, a snarl rolling through her canines as she pressed her knee against my chest. She kicked the gun out of my hand and kept me against the ground.

I struggled against her, my arms pushing and punching at her limbs.

Two gunshots echoed throughout the house before the werewolf above me collapsed to the ground.

I inhaled a deep breath and looked toward the gunshots.

My father stood in the doorway, his gun lowering as he eyed me. “You alright?”

I nodded slowly and pushed myself off the ground. I watched Derek walk into the room, his eyes scanning the room. 

“It's not over yet,” he mumbled and stepped closer to me.

My father nodded. “Here Stiles take this,” he stated before he handed me a handful of bullets. “They're laced with wolfsbane.”

I nodded and loaded my gun.

Derek inhaled a deep breath. “Scott and Allison are here.”

My brow curled, confusion splayed on my features. 

“I called them on my way here.”

I nodded and smiled, relieved to know we had backup. Before I could gain too much confidence a large male charged through the room and tackled Derek. The two flew backwards and crashed through the window, sending glass shards flying through the air.

I inhaled a sharp breath and ran over to the window, leaning over the side. I watched the two hit the ground roughly before the male wolf stood up and stared down at Derek, who was still on the floor.

I turned and pushed past everyone, bolting out into the hallway and down the stairs. I threw the back door open and charged outside. I stopped when I reached the two struggling against each other. I lifted the gun and aimed it straight at the werewolf above Derek before I pulled the trigger.

The gunshot echoed throughout the woods and the wolf collapsed to the ground.

Derek pushed himself off the ground and nodded towards me. “Thank you.”

I nodded, but Derek wasn't looking at me anymore. His eyes were fixed on a clearing in the woods. I followed his gaze and watched as a female made her way out of the treeline. The same female that had threatened me, that had made mine and Derek's life a living hell. She held that same shotgun that she had held to my head.

I stayed still, my hands slowly raising to aim my pistol at Kate.

She smirked, her eyes flicking from Derek to me. “You know you guys make a cute couple. I almost admire you two, but you both have wronged me...and that simply can't go unpunished,” she stated as she held the shotgun steady. She swept the barrel between me and Derek. 

She stopped on Derek, her eyes narrowing. “It won't go unpunished,” she mumbled.

I was aware of three gunshots. One that came from the upstairs bedroom, crippling Kate. One that shot off from hers. And one more from my gun that lodged into Kate's neck, sending her sprawled on the ground.

I looked over at Derek and watched as he stumbled backwards, holding his side. I gasped and ran forward, reaching him right as he collapsed backwards onto the ground.

“Derek?” I questioned, my hands roaming his body desperate to find the source of the blood that was on his shirt.

He winced and inhaled a slow breath before he spoke. “I'm fine...I'm fine. It got me in my side,” he groaned.

I looked down and sure enough there was a hole in his shirt. I carefully pulled the hole, opening it up so I could see the wound. The hole was deep, the bullet was definitely still lodged in him. I looked down at my shirt. Thankfully there was a strip that had been ripped off by one of the wolves. I gripped onto it and ripped a section of fabric away from my shirt. I wrapped the fabric around his torso and tied it tight.

Derek grunted, his hands holding onto his side tightly. 

“Stiles,” My father stated from behind me.

I kept my eyes on Derek, taking in the pain that curled through his features.

“Take him to the Vet's office down the road, when you go in tell him that you're my son. He will help you,” he stated urgently. “We'll stay and clean this place up.”

That was all the instruction I needed. “Alright come on,” I mumbled and wrapped my arm around Derek's waist. I helped him up to his feet before I walked him around the house. 

“Stiles I can walk.”

I glanced over at Derek. “Yeah but 'I'm not going to let you hobble to the car'...consider this payback,” I smirked.

He smiled and I was actually able to appreciate this moment. Although Derek was hurt, Kate was dead and our problems were over with. I kept that in my mind as I helped Derek into my Jeep and got in myself. I was speeding, I knew it, but I couldn't being myself to care about the law when Derek was bleeding out beside me. I kept glancing over at him nervously, but he kept his composure pretty well.

When we made it to the vet's office I hopped out quickly and helped Derek out. There was another car in the parking lot even though the sign on the door said closed. I pulled Derek along and banged on the door roughly.

The door opened abruptly, almost knocking me over, revealing a man. His skin was dark and the light shined off his bare head. His eyes narrowed at Derek before he turned to me. “The sign clearly says closed.”

I nodded and glanced down at Derek's side before I looked back up at the man. “Yeah I know, but I need your help. He's shot and-”

“I don't do werewolves. I am a veterinarian.”

“My father sent me here for your help...he he's the sheriff,” I mumbled and pulled Derek's body closer to me.

He was drooping forward slightly, his head dipping further downward. 

“Wait your father? Sheriff Stilinski is your father?”

I nodded, a little too eagerly.

The vet looked around the parking lot nervously before he opened the door for us.

I pulled Derek inside and waited for the Vet to lock the door. I then followed him into the backroom where we holstered Derek onto the table.

He was in and out of consciousness, so once he hit the table he knocked out.

The vet began working on Derek. He grabbed a pair of tweezers and walked back over to Derek's body.

I hovered by the table, my hand laying on Derek's arm.

“So you're the famous Stilinski son. Stiles right?” The doctor questioned as he began working on the wound.

I nodded slowly. “I'm guessing you know who I am from my father.”

“Indeed. He speaks very fondly of you,” he stated before he turned toward the cabinets again. He pulled a wooden box out and started searching through it. “I guess I should introduce myself since I'm technically doing surgery on your lover here,” he mumbled and pulled something out of the box.

I eyed him slightly. “Lover?”

He nodded slowly and returned to the table. “Yes, I'm not blind Stiles. If the way you're hovering is any indication,” he stated and nodded toward my hand.

I had an intense urge to move it, but I kept it there instead. I met his gaze. “Is my hovering bothering you?”

The doctor smiled and shook his head. “Not at all, it's actually kind of refreshing,” he mumbled as he broke the object in his hand in half. “To see an owner care so much for his werewolf.”

I nodded slowly and glanced down at Derek.

His eyes were shut, his head turned slightly to the side. He looked mostly peaceful, except for the occasional flicker of pain across his features.

“Anyway I'm Alan Deaton,” he mumbled as he poured powder out from the object into his hand. “And I hate to interrupt introductions, but this is probably going to hurt him a lot.”

I braced myself and watched as Deaton poured the powder into the wound.

Derek tensed, his hand gripping onto my arm tightly. He growled slightly, his eyes flickering open revealing a set of red eyes. He bolted upright and started to scoot away from Deaton.

“Derek, you're okay. Deaton is helping,” I mumbled, my hand holding him in place.

He released his grip on my arm slightly as he glanced down at his wound. It was gone, the once jagged hole in his torso was nothing but bare skin. The only evidence he had been shot was the blood stain on his shirt. He inhaled deep and slow breaths.

“Is that all?”

Deaton nodded and smiled at me. “Yeah, but please do return to visit me Stiles.”

“Thank you,” I mumbled before I grabbed onto Derek's abdomen and helped him off the table.

He landed on both feet, without any problem. He took a step that wasn't full of pain.

I smiled and released him. 

We made it home with no problem, silence blanketed the car as we fully realized what had happened. We walked into the foyer and I shut and locked the door behind us. I turned and was immediately engulfed in Derek's embrace.

He wrapped his arms around my abdomen, pulling me closer to him.

I smiled and returned the hug, bunching my fingers into the fabric of his shirt. I could feel his body's warmth sink into mine, filling my body with a tingling sensation. I felt him dip his head into my neck, inhaling my scent. 

“Thank you,” he mumbled, his voice muffled by my neck.

I smiled, the weight of his words hanging in the air. With those two words he conveyed everything that I was fearful of. He wanted to be there, he was thankful for everything I had done and I was thankful for everything he had done. “Thank you,” I mumbled back.

The next few weeks went by in peaceful harmony. Lydia, Allison, Scott and my father came by and visited all the time. 

Derek seemed to be much more relaxed. The room I had gave him turned back into a guest room because Derek had decided to fully move into mine. He loved being outside and I never declined him that pleasure. 

I didn't push too far and we both seemed to be completely content with that. It was so simple and easy, not constantly looking over our shoulder.

So that night we got ready for bed just like we always would.

I was putting the dishes in the sink when Derek came up behind me and lightly touched my arm. “There's someone in the yard,” he whispered, his eyes focused on the back door.

I followed his gaze and watched him start towards the door. I grabbed my gun before I followed him toward the back door.

He opened it slowly and stepped into the backyard.

I followed a step behind him, my bare feet squishing the wet ground beneath me. I held the gun low as I stepped up beside Derek. My eyes scanned the tree line and stopped when a female emerged from the trees. 

The girl looked young as she stumbled out of the treeline, her hair swaying around her. She looked up, her eyes glowing a brilliant yellow in the darkness. As she came into the light, I could tell she didn't have a collar on. Her eyes returned to normal and that was when I recognized her. She was the girl from my dreams, the young one that had been hanging from the wall. 

Derek took a step closer. “C...Cora?” he stammered, eyeing the girl.

It hit me immediately. I knew who this was. The girl that was stumbling out of the woods, without a collar, was Derek's sister.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whoo! Sorry to end in an awful cliff hanger like that, but I just had to continue this story. I'm currently in the midst of writing it so hopefully I can get that out to you very soon! Thanks for staying with me through this :D


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